


Forever And A Bit

by roymustang (SpicyReyes)



Category: Naruto
Genre: 'another fucking time travel fic' groans the collection of subscribers i have on this hellsite, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Gen, M/M, Multi, Sand Siblings Bonding, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, and naruto and gaara are the brotp of a lifetime, listen i just really love gaara and blackkat's fics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-24
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2018-12-06 04:08:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 125,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11592624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicyReyes/pseuds/roymustang
Summary: Originally, Gaara thought the plan - brought to him by a desperate and shaken Naruto on the last holding place of the world's few remaining shinobi - was both insane and impossible.No one ever accused Gaara of being sane, nor sensible, so he agreed anyway.He hadn't really expected it towork.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [reverse](https://archiveofourown.org/works/5339486) by [blackkat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/pseuds/blackkat). 



> OKAY SO im a huge fan of time travel fics and a few months ago i stumbled onto the gems that are blackkat's 'backslide' and 'reverse' and i was like,,, i havent done anything w/ the naruto fandom in actual years but i kind of miss it. a lot actually. holy shit i Need This  
> and then both fics dabbled with the character of gaara a bit and i remembered my undying love for my little ginger son and i had this idea and,.... here we are  
> various statements I feel are important: my notes are all written like a 12 year old texting because i just dont give a fuck if its not in a story. im german-american so i dont have a lot of japanese knowledge and im not gonna try and bastardize my way through it. i carry over whatever words went untranslated in the sub versions of the episodes, so you get things like 'bijuu' and 'shinobi' instead of their english equivalents but youre not gonna get any weird japanglish from me  
> also just..before it becomes a thing. naruto's speech tick in the japanese original is not something with a translation, its a speech tick. sort of like how some english speakers throw a lot of "like"s or "yeah?"s into their sentences. i traded it out for "y'know?" since it fit best into the way he uses his in japanese and its still easy to recognize for all of you that watched the dub and got used to the "believe it" substitution

Gaara had long entertained the idea that he would either help Naruto save the world, or die trying. 

So when Naruto approached him in the camp, the last holdout of the remaining shinobi, and told him his idea, Gaara was predictably skeptical. Not because he doubted it would work - Naruto had a knack for achieving the impossible - but because he doubted he would be any help. Everything he’d ever become had been because of Naruto. He didn’t see any reason why they would  _ both  _ be needed.

“Gaara,” Naruto pleaded. “We’re the only ones left with the chakra for this, and I  _ can’t  _ do it on my own. I just can’t.”

Gaara understood what he meant - while, practically, it would be possible, Naruto didn’t think he could handle being alone again. 

Which, honestly, neither could Gaara.

So, with that in mind, he agreed. 

It would be nice to see if he could tame Shukaku this time, if nothing else. 

  
  


Naruto explained the basics of his jutsu to him as they worked on drawing out the massive seal that would do most of the detail work of the technique for them. 

“Our bodies can’t take it,” he said. “Our brains would be  _ paste  _ at the end, and we’re not technically jinchuriki anymore.” He looked sad at the reminder, and Gaara felt a pang of sympathy - he and Shukaku had never been close, but Naruto and Kurama had become friends at the end, with the bijuu even sacrificing himself to keep Naruto alive. 

“If we’re not going through physically, how are we doing it?” Gaara prompted, trying to keep Naruto on track.

“Right. We’re sending  _ chakra  _ through,” Naruto told him. “All of it. Our bodies here are going to die, but…” He looked around, eyes haunted. “Gaara, this world is already dead. I can tell you the names of every single person who is left, and I’m  _ awful  _ with names! We’re burnt out. The only way to fix it is for it not to happen at all.” He turned around, gripping Gaara’s hands in his. “You and me, we’re going to send our chakra through. The seal will warp it through time, like the Sharingan can manipulate space. Our chakra will hit ourselves when we were younger, and will either merge with them or take them over. I’m not really sure. But that will give us both the chance to fix things ahead of time.” 

Gaara watched Naruto, taking in the desperate edge to his features, and then sighed. “How far back?”

“Dunno,” Naruto told him. “I’m probably gonna have to be a missing-nin to get anything done, so it doesn’t really matter how old I am, y’know? So I guess it’s up to you.”

Gaara closed his eyes, cursing himself for his own foolishness, because he couldn’t  _ believe  _ what he was about to ask. “It’s impractical,” he warned. “But I would like to save my uncle, if possible. His death was the turning point in my life, where every single person lost faith I could be human. Preventing that grief and that exile could help quite a bit.”

“Six, then,” Naruto said, seeming to consider it. “Okay. Six. I’ll be a little kid, which will be  _ weird,  _ but hey! At least I’ll be in time to stop Itachi from going nuts. Hopefully.” He released Gaara’s hands, nudging him toward the seal. “Alright, then. I’ll add the right lines, and we’ll be off.” 

Within minutes, they both hand their hands pressed to the lines, and Gaara pretended he didn’t hear Naruto softly praying for it to work beside him.

There was a bright flash, and a swirl of pure chakra as the jutsu flared to life, and then they were gone.

  
  


Gaara woke with a shout that quickly became a growl, his body warring with itself. He quickly realized what had happened: his adult chakra, immense and powerful, had entered his six-year-old body and completely absorbed the faint chakra that was already there. Shukaku had clearly noticed the energy of his jinchuriki being swallowed whole by something stronger, because the Ichibi was awake and fighting for control.

Luckily, though, Gaara had practice with this. 

He gathered his chakra into himself and pushed back, focusing on rebuilding the walls inside him that held the bijuu back. “Enough,” he hissed to himself. “I am not going to harm you, Shukaku. I’m your only ally, so I suggest you  _ calm down.”  _

The chakra inside him twisted as he felt the tailed beast recoil, and within seconds, he was dragged down into their shared mental space.

Inside his mind, Gaara did not appear as a child, but the man that he’d been mere moments ago. Shukaku, on the other hand, looked harrowed and sickly. 

“Your chakra is the same, but stronger,” Shukaku observed, watching him through thin-slit eyes. “How? What are you?”

“I’m your jinchuuriki,” Gaara replied. “Only older.” He explained simply the jutsu they’d used and the circumstances, and watched the Ichibi back away from the bars holding him in slowly.

“You have a lot of bold claims, there,” Shukaku said. “Am I supposed to just believe that?”

“No,” Gaara said. “But I ask you to trust me.” Before the beast could do more than sneer, he pressed on. “Your seal is broken, and it’s stifling you and weakening me. I can’t do anything with it on like it is. I’m going to find a way to fix it - but I may end up having to just pull it off. I’m not going to do that unless I can trust you to work  _ with  _ me, but I know you can. In the future I came from, your brother - Kurama - he gave his  _ life  _ to help his jinchuuriki, entirely of his own volition. I expect you to be just as strong of heart.”

Shukaku looked floored. “Kurama would  _ never.  _ He’s too proud.”

“And Naruto is too easy to love,” Gaara countered. “He never once saw the Kyuubi as being beyond saving, and Kurama appreciated it. I expect that right now, in Konoha, Naruto is having this same conversation with the fox, trying to win  _ him  _ over.”

Shukaku watched Gaara warily for a moment longer, before settling in against his bars, staring his jinchuuriki down. “Tell me your story,” he demanded. “All of it. I will decide at the end.”

Sitting down and settling in for the long haul, Gaara began at the beginning.

  
  


Meanwhile, in Konoha, Naruto was grateful that he had always been in forced isolation as a child, because the scream he woke up with would have been difficult to explain if someone heard it.

But being awake in the middle of the night in a long-lost apartment meant he’d succeeded, so he pushed back into his brain and sought out the probably-sleeping fox, because they needed to have a long talk.

He hoped Gaara was okay. Shukaku would probably be a pain in the ass. At least Naruto had Kurama’s name as proof of his claims.

  
  


Gaara left the mental plane of the bijuu, armed with Shukaku’s begrudging cooperation, to see that the morning sun was just starting to sneak in the windows. Given Suna’s location, that meant it was likely mid-morning, rather than dawn, as it took ages for the sun to be clearly visible over the cliffs. 

He wondered for a split second why no one had come to fetch him yet, only to remember that he had no one at this age who would risk disturbing him at any time, let alone in the morning. Which, really, was sensible, because this was back in the height of the time of his insomnia, when he literally couldn’t ever sleep due to fear of giving Shukaku control.

_ If I sleep,  _ he thought to the Ichibi,  _ will you be wrecking my village? _

_ I apparently need you to keep me from getting shoved into a statue,  _ Shukaku replied.  _ So, not unless someone really ticks me off.  _

Gaara thought of how easy Shukaku had always been to lose his temper, and sighed. Looks like his sleep schedule would be as poor as it had been before his bijuu’s removal after all, even if it wasn’t as bad as his original childhood. 

He was already dressed, which made sense considering the aforementioned insomnia, but the loose green shirt he loved so much as a kid felt alien to him. It was loose, with a large and bunched collar, clearly something worn for comfort. Gaara, in his older years, had traded all sense of comfort or style for sheer practicality, sticking to bodysuits and, later, his Kage robes. He didn’t have any hope of finding something like that in his size around his room, and he wasn’t really sure that was what he wanted to go with, anyway. Going from loose tunics to tactical gear randomly at age six was a red flag he really didn’t want to put up.

He searched through his things, scouring all the clothes he’d been given at some point for training or what have you and promptly ignored in favor of his singular habitual outfit, looking for something less...infantile. 

He eventually dug up a plain black shirt and a red-brown mantelet, and decided that would suffice. He’d have to get clothes at some point, if he was going to be building up his body strength again. He wasn’t going to try and train when his cloak brushed the ground when he stepped. 

Once satisfied that he looked at least a little like a real person - mourning the fact that he’d continue to appear to be a child for  _ years -  _ he headed out of his room, sweeping through the house, peeking into all the other areas and looking to see who was around.

No one. 

Understandable. Kankuro would be...eight? And Temari nine. They were both old enough for the Academy, and were likely in class. Which left Gaara to figure out what exactly he wanted to do for a day while he waited for other people to arrive.

Suddenly, he stumbled, staring into the distance blankly as a thought occurred to him. Waiting accomplished nothing, because he would not have company regardless. His siblings feared and hated him, though not as much as after his uncle’s death, which meant the only person he could actually speak to was Yashamaru.

He let out a low breath. Seeing his uncle alive, knowing that the man did not actually hate him, and that his betrayal had been done on orders...He didn’t know how he’d deal with it. 

Hopefully well enough not to give Shukaku an opening. He didn’t trust the racoon bastard just yet. 

He didn’t know where exactly his uncle was, so he decided not to bother seeking him out - they’d stumble upon each other eventually, certainly. Instead, he decided he’d start on the open displays of change - tiny ways he’d act to show that he wasn’t the demonic creature they thought he was. 

In his teens, Gaara had developed a fondness for domestic tasks that he guarded intensely as his prime secret. Only his siblings knew that the easiest way to get him to relax was to give him a room to clean or a meal to cook. He couldn’t help it, though - it was a task he could fixate on that required little thought and allowed him to help the people he cared about. It was  _ perfect  _ for a coping mechanism, basically. 

He directed that love of homemaking toward the home of the Kazekage’s children, carefully picking up the house and re-organizing things to be neat and tidy. He recalled what systems had worked best for Temari and Kankuro, and incorporated them into his redesign of the rooms, making sure everyone would be happy with the layout. 

For a brief moment, he debated extending the cleaning to their rooms, as he would have as a teen, but ultimately decided against it. They did not trust him, so he would not invade their space yet.

...Well. Maybe not Temari’s. He knew for a  _ fact  _ that Kankuro’s room would be disgusting if left unchecked, so he was at least going to clean out the dishes and trash, if he wouldn’t mess with anything else. 

When everything was sufficiently cleaned, he turned to the kitchen, searching through the cabinets and fridge, taking inventory of their groceries. There were a vast assortment of things, but they were all simple, easy-to-prepare meals, just a hair shy of being  _ Naruto’s  _ level of nutrition. Shaking his head, he hunted down a notebook, and began recording a list in neat handwriting of the things they needed. He knew better than to try and go get them on his own - he’d scare the market vendors half to death with his presence, and besides that, he was currently  _ far  _ too small to carry back even a fraction of the things he wanted to buy. He had to  _ climb on the counter  _ to reach the top cabinets. It was awful. 

When he had roughly two pages of kitchen staples listed, he checked the time, and deemed it late enough in the day his siblings would be home soon. As such, he moved on to his last task: cooking an actual meal from the meager offerings of their kitchen. 

They had enough basic ingredients for him to make several simple dishes, or he could get creative with substitutions and make something a little more detailed. 

By the time he heard the key turning in the door, marking the return of his siblings, he had several tiny curry bread loaves sitting on a tray, perfect for an after-school snack, and his sister’s favorite tea steeped and prepped in a pretty but rarely used teapot. 

The more Gaara looked around their little house, the more he saw that reminded him that they weren’t really  _ people.  _ Their living space looked like someone had set everything up for a family, and yet all the traditional and typical things were shoved aside to collect dust while they operated like they were camping behind enemy lines.

It was...disheartening. 

He fixed himself a cup of tea out of the pot, pouring it into the  _ tiniest  _ little glass and sighing over the thought that he was, in fact, only six at this time. Just as he was sitting the pot back beside the platter, he heard a sharp inhale behind him, and looked up to see his siblings both watching him as though they’d discovered him in the midst of a murder scene.

_ They’d probably be less surprised by that, actually,  _ Shukaku pointed out, and Gaara didn’t bother answering him. They both knew it was fair. 

“Hi,” Gaara greeted, speaking softly, treating them as though they were woodland creatures he was trying not to startle. “I didn’t want to go outside, but I was bored, so I made food. If you’re hungry, you can have some. I think they’re good.” He looked down at the tray, frowning. “I don’t actually know. I don’t like curry bread, really, but we had a lot of curry roux in one of the cabinets, so it was easy to make. I think I messed up on the spices, because it smells  _ really  _ strong, but I think you like it that way, right, Kankuro?” 

He looked up to see his brother looking completely stunned. Gaara knew for a  _ fact  _ that Kankuro preferred foods to be a level of spicy that should be outlawed, and that Temari was only slightly more reasonable. He hadn’t messed up, in cooking, he’d done it exactly as he intended - but they didn’t need to  _ know  _ that. They were already suspicious enough. 

“You...made us food?” Temari asked, tentatively. “Because you were bored?”

“Well,” Gaara said, looking at the spread before him. “I also cleaned. And made tea. But days are a lot longer when you’re by yourself, so I needed something else to do.”

Temari and Kankuro exchanged a look, and then Kankuro stepped forward, clearing deciding to be the brave one. He picked up a curry bread loaf, taking a bite, only to blink in shock and stare down at it. 

“Gaara,” he said, slowly.

“What?” Temari asked, stepping up immediately, looking concerned. “What’s in it?”

“Ambrosia,” Kankuro replied. “Literal god-food. This is amazing and I’m pretty sure it’s some type of forbidden jutsu.” 

Temari hit him on the shoulder. “You scared me, asshole!” She reached over, plucking the loaf out of his hands, taking a bite herself, which ended in a long groan. “Oh, that  _ is  _ good. Gaara, where did you learn to cook?”

Gaara headed over to the counter, fetching the long-abandoned recipe box there, with cards written in his mother’s curly handwriting. “These.”

Temari paused mid-bite, and Gaara watched her eyes glaze with tears. “Mom’s recipies,” she murmured. “You found them?”

“I cleaned,” he reminded her. “We have a lot of things we don’t use, in here. That seemed sad.”

Temari watched him, clearly considering, before humming and looking away, taking a pointed bite of her bread. “Yeah,” she agreed. “It is sad.”

Gaara allowed himself a private smile, because he knew that tone. Temari was thinking, and if the look on her face told him anything, she was realizing that he was being genuine. Maybe, just maybe, he could convince his sister to be close to him again.

Looking to his brother, who had not stopped shovelling his face full of curry bread, he decided that Temari would probably be the deciding factor. Kankuro had never really been hard to please. 

  
  


Gaara had somehow gotten his family to relax enough to start playing cards at the table, still sipping tea by his side even though the curry bread was long gone, and was watching them debate whether cheating at cards could be considered shinobi training when Yashamaru  _ finally  _ walked into the kitchen. Watching his long-dead uncle blink in shock at the sight of three small children seated around a table was funny enough that it outweighed the absolutely crushing weight of grief that hit him when he saw the man.

“Hello, uncle,” Gaara greeted. “Temari has managed to successfully cheat Kankuro out of three rounds of cards, which is impressive, given the amount of high value ones he has snuck into and out of his sleeves since the first match began.”

Both his siblings instantly jumped on each other at the confirmation that they’d  _ both  _ been cheating, bickering good naturedly, and Gaara gave a small smile at the interaction. 

Looking back to his uncle, he saw Yashamaru’s eyes were slightly wet, and he wondered what his mother’s brother saw that hit him so heavily. “It’s good to see you getting along,” the man told them, voice hoarse, and Gaara watched both his siblings still at the comment.

He braced himself for them deciding that was their cue and taking off, leaving him alone again...but slowly, Temari relaxed her shoulders, and gave a smile that was only slightly strained. “Gaara is a good teammate for a card match, even if he doesn’t play. He’s distracting Kankuro enough I can win easily.”

Kankuro straightened up, eyes going wide. “What?” He turned to his brother, looking scandalised, and Gaara smiled. 

“Temari only ate one piece of curry bread,” Gaara informed him. “We fed the rest to you, and you were so busy eating you did not notice her retrieve a second deck of cards during the preparations.”

Temari laughed as Kankuro groaned, slumping down against the table, clearly admitting defeat. 

“Well, at least we know you’ve got a sense of teamwork,” Yashamaru said. Then, to Gaara’s surprise, the man crossed the room and ruffled his hair, the light touch a shock. 

Gaara might have eventually found many precious people, but he had never been one to reach out to other people, and everyone else took their cue from him and never touched him. He got so used to having a good foot between himself and other people that to have a hand actually  _ on  _ him made his breath catch, but when he saw the other three tense in preparation for a reaction, he forced himself to let the breath back out and relax.

He looked up to his uncle, gave him his best attempt at a reassuring smile, and told him, “I saved some of the curry bread before the card game. It’s in the fridge. It smells like fire, but they both liked it.” 

Yashamaru laughed. “I don’t mind a little bit of spice. I’ll grab one, thanks. You made them?”

Gaara nodded, at the same time Kankuro began gushing about the wonder of his brother’s baked goods.

Gaara let the men converse, looking to Temari, who was watching him with a curious look. He tipped his head in a questioning gesture, and she looked down to the table, lips pursed.

Ah. She was trying to figure out what he was up to. She was still scared of him, quite understandably, and he was probably confusing her greatly by acting…well,  _ decent _ .

Suddenly, Gaara felt suffocated. The idea of sitting here, in front of child forms of his family and the ghost of a man who once defined him, and pretending to be an innocent child with no ulterior motives made him nauseous. 

He shifted back from the table as subtly as possible, but the effort was wasted, because there were instantly three sets of eyes on him. 

“I,” he started, trying to excuse himself, but his voice wouldn’t work. He knew the feeling, had become intimately familiar with it in his later years: he was panicking, his body going on the defensive as his mind tried to work its way out of the hole his dark thoughts had dug him into. He turned, leaving the room, not running but walking as quickly as he could. Within seconds, he was in his room, climbing out his window and onto the roof.

As a young man and a Kage, Gaara used to respond to panic attacks by walking the streets, reassuring himself by looking at all the people who smiled kindly to him and greeted him by his title that  _ No, Gaara, you aren’t a monster, you’re a  _ **_person_ ** _. You are cared for, you are loved, you are not pure self-loving carnage.  _

That wasn’t an option, at age six, and so Gaara comforted himself by curling up in the bright light of the mid-afternoon sun, soaking in warmth that hadn’t existed in the infinite night created at the end of their original world. 

His sand started swirling around him, forming tiny tendrils that began slashing out like whips, and he realized that it was responding to his fear. Or, more accurately,  _ Shukaku  _ was - it was  _ his  _ chakra feeding into the sand. 

Huffing, he pushed back into himself again, returning to their mental plane. 

“Stop!” Gaara hissed up at Shukaku, glaring. “If you won’t behave for the village, or for me, behave for yourself. The Akatsuki are going to be after  _ jinchuuriki,  _ and it will be a lot easier for them to take me if the village already hates me. You’re going to make your own death easier, killing everyone who passes by.”

Shukaku snarled at him. “I’m an ancient being of pure chakra, brat, I don’t need a lecture! But your seal is full of blinders. I can’t see what you see, I just feel  _ you.  _ If you’re not in danger, you’ll have to let me know! Otherwise I won’t be able to tell not to attack.” 

Gaara paused. He...hadn’t known that. He’d always just assumed Shukaku didn’t care about what he wanted. Maybe...maybe that was unfair. 

“If I need your help, I’ll tell you,” Gaara told him. “In the meantime, until I can find a way to alter the seal, please just...rest. You could probably use it, with how much chakra this thing is sapping out of you.”

The Ichibi snorted. “I’m being put down for a nap by a six year old,” he muttered. “If Kurama could see me now.”

“Naruto said he spent most of his time asleep, because he just couldn’t be bothered to watch people be stupid all the time,” Gaara informed him. “He wouldn’t really have room to make fun of you for sleeping when  _ you  _ actually  _ need  _ to.”

Shukaku rolled his eyes, but laid down obligingly. “Okay, brat, get out of here. The blinders are still on, so I can’t see if someone comes up to you while you’re locked up with me, and somehow I don’t think you being checked out completely is a good way to keep folks from panicking.”

That was fair, so Gaara inclined his head in acknowledgement and fled the mental space, blinking back into awareness on the roof. 

To see his sister standing in front of him, stance battle-ready, face pale and terrified. 

“Temari,” Gaara greeted. “You followed me?”

“You’re…” She straightened up, blinking. “You’re still...you?”

“Shukaku is resting,” Gaara told her, watching her blanch. “We have an agreement, right now.” 

“Gaara…”

“It’s not bad,” Gaara hurried to reassure her. “He will rest, and rebuild strength, and in return I will look for someone to fix my seal.” He held up a hand to stop her distressed cry, explaining, “It’s broken, sister. They didn’t do it right, and that’s why I can’t control him, and he can’t control me. Neither one of us is healthy, right now. If I fix the seal, he’ll be stronger, but so will I, and he’ll be able to help me without controlling me.” And vise versa, but he felt that was probably too much to add at the moment. “Once the seal is fixed, I’ll become a shinobi, the same as you and Kankuro. Shukaku is very angry, all the time, but if we can direct that anger toward enemies instead of friends…” He looked up at his sister, expression of pain open for her to see. “That would be worth anything I had to do to get there.”

“How did you even figure all this out?” she asked, incredulous. “You were completely different just yesterday.”

Gaara pressed his lips into a thin line, debating the answer he wanted to give.

“Jinchuuriki have a space in their mind,” he decided, opting to offer a version of truth. “In it, every bijuu and jinchuuriki can talk face to face. I used it to talk to Shukaku.” He tipped his head, and then admitted, “He’s not as crazy as I thought he was. He just can’t see anything. They trapped him completely, so he has to take over my body to know what’s happening. So he keeps doing that. And then he gets angry at how people are and attacks and then they die and then I’m back. Over and over and over again.” He curled in on himself, dragging his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them. “I never realized that letting myself get upset people didn’t want to be around me made it even worse. In a way, it would have been easier if I gave up immediately.”

There was silence, and then Temari softly murmured, “I’m glad you didn’t.” Gaara looked up at her, and she was staring at him, a familiar determined expression on her face. “I’m glad you kept caring about people. I’m always scared you’ll hurt someone without knowing it, but now you  _ know  _ you can do it, and you really don’t want to. That’s enough for me to feel better, even if I don’t feel  _ great.  _ And…” She took a deep breath. “If fixing your seal will help you get better, than I’ll help you find a seal master. Shit, I’ll learn sealing  _ myself _ , if I have to.” 

Gaara couldn’t help it; he snorted. “You’d be terrible at sealing. Even your handwriting is bad.” 

“True,” she admitted. “But that’s what the Academy is for! You’ll see when you get there.”

Gaara smiled, a tiny little hopeful thing, meant just for the two of them. “Yeah. I guess I will.”

  
  


While Gaara spent the first week back in his childhood slowly adjusting his family to the idea he wasn’t going to murder them, Naruto had a far less productive time trying to find  _ anyone  _ in Konoha he could get to stop and actually  _ speak _ to him. 

While Gaara wasn’t in classes, Suna not starting their extensive study program until around age eight, Konoha students began at six. Meaning that most of Naruto’s week was spent trying to dodge Iruka and avoid sitting through first year classes again. 

He was grateful, though, that Konoha taught on a rotating system, rather than assigning teacher by year: he started in Iruka’s year for incoming students, so he would be the man’s student all the way until age twelve or graduation, whichever was first. Kids next year would get a different teacher who would be in charge of them indefinitely, and so on. It saved Naruto from having to actually  _ do things,  _ because he knew Iruka wouldn’t push him to show up to class. He’d be irritated that he was skipping, sure, but Iruka had always been forgiving of his lack of desire to show up. Maybe he just thought that Naruto hated feeling stupid when he didn’t know something other people were taught by their parents, or that he didn’t want to be surrounded by kids who all had their own friends when no one would even look twice at him. Whatever the reason, Naruto knew he had time before he’d be missed in his lessons. 

When the first day of the second school week rolled around, though, Naruto knew he couldn’t keep ditching. He hadn’t had any success on his own, anyway: he was predictably ignored by everyone over a certain age in the entire village, and usually regarded with skepticism or disgust by those under that bar. 

So, class it was. Maybe he could make some friends in his age group? Ohh, if he could befriend Sasuke, that would make things  _ way  _ easier. He’d have to look into that. It should be easier as kids, he thought, because before the massacre Sasuke hadn’t been a  _ total _ bastard, if he remembered right. 

Which he might not. Twelve years was a  _ long  _ time, and most of his life at age six was a mystery to him. 

He headed into the classroom, groaning when he saw the chalkboard up front declaring it a sealing theory day. The basic seals had always baffled him, even when he finally got good enough at chakra control to manage single shadow clones and finer detailed jutsus. If he had to, he could pick apart a detailed S-rank seal, because every single detail involved in it was marked down clearly. He just had to...read it, basically. Simple seals, though, were just weird shapes on paper that somehow did cool things. A basic, E-rank seal could be completely different without  _ looking  _ like it was anything new, just because “oh, that line there is oriented to the left, instead of the right.”

Naruto wasn’t a detail person. He tended to look at the big, obvious things, or the tiny insignificant ones. He had never really gotten the hang of taking in  _ both.  _ Seals required a total situational awareness that he simply did not have. 

He slinked into the back of the classroom, dropping down in a corner seat, wondering if he could manage to nap through the lesson if he stayed really quiet. It wasn’t as though he’d learn anything in class anymore, after all. The things they taught in the Academy had never clicked for him, but they were only meant to serve as a base for knowledge, that full-fledged ninja could build on with time. Naruto hadn’t needed the skills, because he had the raw chakra and the healing factor to get away with a ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ approach. So it was entirely possible his grades would still be total garbage, but whatever. He could at least pass the graduation exam, when the time came, he thought. Shadow clones were easy as breathing for him, these days. 

Naruto had, originally, opted to take the graduation exam with every single class from the end of his first year forward, determined that he would get it right early. By the time he was actually twelve, he’d started shrugging it off with the excuse that he’d wanted to see what it was like, not letting anyone know how badly he felt he’d failed. Now, he wondered if he would do that again. It wouldn’t be too difficult to pass it early, but then he’d be given a new team. But then  _ again,  _ that would give him access to resources that were limited only to Academy-confirmed shinobi. 

He sighed. He’d have to figure that one out eventually, but for now, he’d stress about getting through classes without dying of boredom. 

The class slowly filled with kids, and Naruto took a moment to note with wry amusement the fact that the two seats next to him remained distinctly empty, even as the rest of the desks were filled fully. 

Naruto scanned the room, curious, because he didn’t remember all of these kids. That made sense, though - a lot of kids started the Academy as a test, only to leave after the first year when it became apparent that they had no skill with chakra manipulation. 

His eyes snapped to the door again as it opened for the last time, revealing Iruka, laden with books and looking like he’d rather have another few hours of sleep before having to deal with small children. 

“Alright, kids,” Iruka greeted, sitting his things on his desk. “If you read the board, you’ll know we’re doing sealing again today. Last week we went over seal types, so today, I want to test how well you remembered them.” He took several basic practice sealing scrolls off his desk, and began passing them out. “You’ll have half an hour. I want you to seal something away. Anything is fine - just a pencil will do. You can use any seal matrix you can remember. It just has to work.”

Naruto blinked, considering. ‘Just has to work,’ huh? 

He grinned to himself. He was going to have a lot of fun in school this time around, he thought, if he kept being given loopholes to exploit. 

Iruka paused in front of his table, staring down at him. “Naruto,” he greeted, eye twitching in what he probably thought was a subtle show of irritation. “You were absent last week, so I’m not going to worry about-...”

“No!” Naruto reached out, snatching one of the practice scrolls. “I know sealing scrolls, Iruka-sensei. I can learn almost anything out of a book if I take the time to read.” He figured that was a better explanation than ‘I’m actually eighteen and something adjacent to a Kage.’ 

Iruka seemed skeptical, but left him with the scroll without further protest, so Naruto counted it as a win.

Laughing to himself, Naruto grabbed some ink, already running through the list of possibilities in his head.

He’d always wondered what being a child prodigy would be like. It’d be cool to pretend he was, for a while.

 

“And, time,” Iruka called, standing from his desk. “Everyone line up in the front of the class, we’ll go through your scrolls.”

He went along the line of children, watching as they unsealed small objects - ink bottles, pens, erasers, hairpins, and all sorts of other small objects. Some students didn’t manage a successful scroll, and he spoke with them for a moment, advising them on how to improve their understanding of the art. 

And then he was at the end of the line, and he realized he’d missed someone. 

He looked around, frowning. “Naruto?” He looked to the other kids, eyebrows raised. “Has anyone seen Naruto?” At the blank looks and denials of his students, he moved toward the back of the room, making his way cautiously toward Naruto’s desk. The boy hadn’t sat anywhere near a window, and when asked, none of the students could recall seeing him leave. He was simply...missing.

Iruka paused at his desk, looking at Naruto’s abandoned scroll there. He wondered if the child had sneaked off when he realized he couldn’t complete a seal. With a sigh, he unrolled the scroll, thinking he’d get a look at what Naruto had attempted-...

Only to shriek and drop the seal as Naruto materialized in a puff of smoke, grinning wide, standing tall on top of the table.

“Ta da!” the boy yelled. “I sealed myself, Iruka-sensei! Sealing tiny stuff is hard, because it’s really specific, but I know my own chakra really well, so putting it into a scroll is easy!” 

Iruka stared up at the boy from where he’d fallen to the floor in shock, processing the fact that  _ Naruto,  _ the child who struggled with the most basic concepts in lessons, somehow managed to seal his  _ own entire body  _ into a scroll.

Instantly, Iruka realized that such a feat was  _ literally impossible  _ with a simple E-rank seal, and he scrambled back to his feet, scooping up the scroll to examine the seal work.

What he saw was...gibberish.

There was no recognizable seal matrix, nor any basic symbols. The lines looked more like graffiti than anything, interlocking in bold and ugly lines, creating sharp angles and interlocked shape across the paper. 

He looked up to Naruto. “What is this?”

“Huh?” Naruto said, before looking down to the scroll, like he’d forgotten what they were even talking about. “Oh, yeah. I had to make up some stuff to make the seal work, because I forgot what the design was supposed to look like. It’s kinda cool looking, though, so I like it.” 

“You...invented a seal,” Iruka repeated, dumbly. But then it clicked in his brain: of course Naruto was good at seals. He was an Uzumaki. Their clan had been renowned far and wide for their sealing. It was in his blood. Iruka had been dismissing him preemptively based on his scores in practical exams, but this was clearly Naruto’s strength. Maybe this was what he  _ should  _ focus on teaching the kid.

“That’s excellent,” Iruka told him, and watched Naruto actually  _ stumble,  _ looking floored, and it occurred to him that no one probably ever complimented the kid. That...sat oddly with him, making him slightly sick inside, and he resolved to offer Naruto praise for his achievements whenever possible. “Sealing is usually one of the most difficult things for a shinobi to grasp. The fact that you managed it speaks highly of your mental abilities. With that in mind, learning proper chakra control and jutsus shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Naruto straightened, and Iruka felt like he stopped breathing, because he  _ knew  _ the look in the kid’s eyes. He’d seen that look plenty of times, sitting in the hokage’s office, watching world-worn jounin stumble in from a mission they’d nearly died on, and give a report with that same expression. It was a soul-deep ache, a void that could never quite be filled, that said  _ I’ve seen the worst of the world, and the best, and I cannot tell which one wins.  _

And then the kid smiled, bright as the sun, and it was like that look had never been there. “I’m gonna get  _ great  _ at all sorts of things, y’know, and I’ll be hokage one day besides. Just watch me do it!” 

Iruka smiled at him, and was amazed to realize he wasn’t even a little bit doubtful of that. “Maybe you will. But for now, you’re my student. So get off the table! You’re going to break it!”

Naruto hopped down with a laugh, and Iruka felt like something fundamental had shifted between them.

He kind of liked it.

  
  


In the week that Gaara had been back in early Suna, he’d made a point not to leave home. No one trusted him outside, among people, so he handled everything he needed done outside by passing on requests to his siblings or uncle, and spent the rest of the time working things out domestically. 

That was only going to work for so long, though, and Gaara had to get out eventually. Plus, he was going stir crazy - he’d gotten fairly into the habit of daily exercise for years, and then toward the end he and the other remaining shinobi were moving  _ constantly.  _ To be sitting still for days on end was grating him. 

Still, it would probably be best if he didn’t get seen by very many people. So instead of simply walking around, he waited until nightfall, and slipped out to the training grounds.

Shinobi villages never really  _ slept _ , but people who stayed up at night always did so for a reason, and that reason rarely took them anywhere near the training grounds. As such, picking the least-used one and remaining quiet meant Gaara didn’t really worry about being found or watched. Without fear of observation, he had no reason to hold himself back, acting like he didn’t have a whole extra decade of knowledge than he should. 

He mentally nudged Shukaku, informing him of his intentions, and he cautiously accepted a thread of the bijuu’s chakra through the tattered seal, which he fed into his sand. 

If Shukaku was not able to properly observe, he wouldn’t be much use in a fight - at least not in the way that Kurama had been helpful to Naruto, advising him on better strategy and protecting his back when he got distracted. If Gaara was going to work  _ with  _ the Ichibi, he needed to find a way to do so as they were, until the seal was fixed.

So, he guided the bijuu’s chakra to coat the grains of his sand, strengthening them until a single one could pierce straight through skin, with the proper force.

And then, with that done, he revealed the  _ trust  _ portion of the plan: with Shukaku’s chakra to coat the grains, Gaara withdrew his own thick walls of chakra from them, leaving them stationary in the gourd. 

_ Brat?  _ Shukaku called to him, confused.

_ I’ll carry a smaller gourd with defensive sand,  _ Gaara thought back.  _ But this way, I can save chakra by only grabbing what I need. It gives me better control over the attacks, too, if I purposely choose every single movement of the sand.  _

_ Good thinking,  _ the bijuu complemented, and Gaara blinked in shock, because that wasn’t even slightly sarcastic.  _ Oh, hush,  _ the bijuu scolded him.  _ I’m eons old, brat, I know when someone’s plan is good! You’re still an idiot, but you’re better than most humans, at least. _

Gaara snorted. He’d take what he could get, at least. 

He started running through basic exercises, the kind he hadn’t run in years, because he still only had a six year old’s strength. Luckily, he didn’t have far to go to hit where he was used to: Gaara had lived his entire life with only the most basic taijutsu knowledge, relying entirely on distance in fights. While his typical excuse was that most strength training required you to injure yourself and heal, which he could not even attempt to do with his automatic protections, the more honest reasoning was that he was a massive perfectionist, and if he couldn’t do it exactly right he didn’t want to do it at all. And even if he managed all his katas with textbook precision, it was hard to watch Rock Lee fight and think of oneself as even  _ decent  _ at taijutsu.

Still, even if he didn’t care much for making himself stronger traditionally, he had plenty to gain from training his body. Endurance, mainly, but also things that would help with his usual evasion tactics - namely, speed and flexibility. 

So he started with the most basic of exercises, and when he felt confident he’d mapped out the limits of his current body, he started on the actual work.

By the time the sun was rising, he was sweating and tired and had at some point stripped down to nothing but the black short-sleeved bodysuit he’d worn under his training clothes. He didn’t stop then, though, but kept pushing, taking regular breaks to meditate for half an hour or so and rebuild his chakra while Shukaku’s automatic responses healed up any torn muscles or other injuries. 

_ Leave me calluses, please,  _ Gaara asked of the Ichibi at one point.  _ I really hate having soft hands when I need to grip things, and using sand to coat them feels weird.  _

Shukaku had called him a baby, but thickened the skin on his hands anyway, so. Win. 

He was in the midst of practicing handstands when a shadow fell over him, and he chose to show off a bit, lifting on hand off the ground and twisting at the wrists to turn around without standing, and looking up at his visitor.

Kankuro was staring down at him, seemingly torn between disbelief, horror, and amusement.

“You and Temari were both well trained prior to entering the Academy,” he pointed out. “I should not be so far behind my own siblings.”

“...That’s fair,” Kankuro allowed, and Gaara took the opportunity to test the backspring he’d been working on earlier, leaping to his feet.

His landing stumbled, and he ended up being caught by his brother just before he hit the dirt, which was more than a little embarrassing. Luckily, Kankuro didn’t seem to really notice, too preoccupied with the realization he’d just  _ touched Gaara  _ and not been obliterated. 

Gaara straightened, brushing dirt off of his hands, scowling at the foreign sand sticking to him. He called up his own in a wave - ignoring Kankuro’s flinch - and used it to scrub the other grains off. 

“I hate getting dirty,” Gaara complained. “Why can’t they build training areas  _ inside?”  _

“Because we tend to fight outside?” Kakuro replied, and Gaara admired his recovery. He was pretty sure Kankuro would have been shaking in terror at what he likely saw as a near-death experience for a while. “Besides, look around. No building would survive.” 

Gaara glanced around, taking in dips and cracks in the earth from where his sand had ravaged it during his practicing, as well as the multiple craters where his sand had scraped up earth trying to catch him when he fell. 

“I think,” he said, slowly, “that I might need to practice somewhere stronger.”

“Maybe someday,” Kankuro said. “For now, I think you’ll be okay. I’ve seen this place look a lot worse.” 

That was true, so Gaara relaxed a bit, turning to his brother. “Did you need me?”

Kankuro jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, and Gaara looked to see the sun well over the edge of the cliffs. “We got back from class and you still weren’t home, and no one knew where you went, so I came to check.”

Gaara shifted, looking back to the training field. “Did Temari tell you about what I’m planning?”

“You mean the crazy thing?” Kankuro replied. “Where you want to mess with your own seal? Yeah, she told me.” He waved to the minor chaos around them. “Is that why you’re out here? Training so you can hold him back?”

“Not really,” Gaara said, and felt Shukaku’s slight pull of surprise in the back of his mind. “Whether his seal stays the same or gets fixed, we need to be able to work together. I’ll never be safe if I’m always fighting to stay in control.” He held out a hand, swirling sand in it, creating clever little micro designs as he went to show how finely he commanded them. “Shukaku and I have to be on the same wavelength to get anywhere. The easiest way to do that is to learn how to watch each other’s backs without getting in the way.”

Kankuro watched him, a strange look on his face. “...You know,” he finally said, crossing his arms. “I never noticed how smart you are. You talk like you’re an adult, and you’re not even seven yet.”

Gaara twitched at the reminder of his physical age, and grimaced. “I don’t think age really works the same for jinchuuriki.”

“Maybe not,” Kankuro allowed. “C’mon, let’s go home. You’ve got me and Temari spoiled on your cooking, now, so we’re both hungry.”

Gaara huffed. “I’m not cooking with you both in the house. You make fun of me when I stand on chairs.”

Kankuro snorted. “Well, get taller, shrimp,” he replied, and Gaara marvelled at how far they’d come in a mere week. “Or teach the rest of us to cook.”

Gaara sniffed. “You’re not allowed to cook. You never get the ink from your puppets off your hands completely, and that’s not safe to eat.”

“I guess you’ll have to keep feeding me, then,” his brother sighed. “Until one day you and Temari shove me off on some poor unsuspecting wife.”

“May she find strength through her suffering,” Gaara said, tone dry, before nudging his brother lightly. “Come on. If Uncle brought home the ingredients from my list yesterday, I should have a new recipe to try.”

They headed to the house together, Gaara smiling lightly as his brother celebrated the prospect of new delicious foods.

Originally, he thought living his childhood again would be the worst type of hell. Instead, it was just the opposite. 

He tipped his head back, feeling the sun on his face, and wondered when he’d see Naruto again. He had a lot to tell him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pry the sand siblings' bonding from my cold dead weeb hands


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> crackin' open a cold heart with the boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things that are canon in this fic, but likely won't be explicitly stated: Naruto has ADHD. The ginseng root mentioned here is a classic stim thing, plus ginseng is considered to be like 'herbal adderall' because of how well it helps focus.   
> More little details about my characterization will be explained as I go, but I figured I'd throw that one out here first, since it's the only one that probably won't be covered in-text at all. Just because I can't really decide how well the world of Naruto would understand psychology.   
> Also, the Naruto universe is super inconsistent with technology use, so I just sort of...wrote a headcanon instead.

Iruka must have taken Naruto’s offhand comment that he could learn well from books to heart, because he took to ending classes by giving him some book or scroll to study, always on the topic they’d be covering the next day. 

Most of them, Naruto didn’t really need to read - they covered topics he’d already learned, after all - but he skimmed every one, so that he could at least know what he was  _ supposed  _ to have learned.

He mainly stuck to the pictures, though, honestly. Diagrams were always easy for him, because he could constantly flit around between details in the picture, and quickly take in what he needed. Having to truck through reading a whole book took a lot of patience and focus, and Naruto wasn’t great with that. 

Of course, he made the mistake of actually mentioning that to Iruka, and the next day he was given a back of whole ginseng roots. 

“Chew on them, when you need to focus,” Iruka told him. “It grounds your brain, or something. The medic-nin at the hospital said it was really common for kids with trouble staying still to have an easier time with this.”

Naruto had never tried it before, so he took it up. The first time he bit into one, he made the mistake of biting like he was going to  _ eat  _ it, and got a rush of intense flavor that nearly gagged him. After that, though, he learned that lightly chewing on it was actually  _ really  _ helpful. It gave him something to do so he didn’t feel like he was sitting still, and the sweet flavor felt like he was being rewarded for taking his time to read. 

Within two weeks of the sealing lesson, Naruto had skyrocketed to the front of his class. 

He wasn’t the  _ top  _ student - that was Sasuke, still a genius even without a revenge-fueled determination - but he was up there, doing splendidly in his classes, gaining more and more attention from those around him. 

On the last school day of his second week, Iruka pulled him aside after class, looking serious. 

“Naruto,” his teacher said, voice cautious. “The Hokage wants to see you.” 

Naruto blinked, slightly taken aback. The old man wanted to see him?

He supposed it wasn’t too weird - Naruto had always been in his office regularly to bug him, so spending three weeks away was probably weird, especially if two of those were spent doing  _ awesomely  _ in class and the one prior to that was spent entirely and inexplicably isolated. Still, Iruka looked  _ serious,  _ which implied that Sarutobi wanted to see him for something important.

He gave a single, solemn nod, and watched Iruka let out a breath of relief - probably at Naruto’s understanding. He’d probably been worried about Naruto missing the gravity of the situation completely. That was the thing, though: Naruto had always had trouble staying focused on a situation and understanding new concepts, but one thing he’d  _ never  _ had trouble with was people. Humans made more sense to him than anything, and he could read Iruka better than any book that had ever been written. 

His teacher dismissed him, and he went straight for the Hokage’s office. Never in all his years had he bothered taking time to knock on the door - Sarutobi and Tsunade both only every  _ pretended  _ to be bothered by it - so he strolled right in.

Sarutobi was a  _ sight,  _ reminding Naruto just how far back he was, but that wasn’t who drew his attention.

That honor went to the person in front of his desk, who turned to look at him when he came in. 

That was  _ Danzo.  _

Naruto forced himself not to step back, instead pausing in the doorway and looking between the two men, trying to think of how his six year old self would have reacted.

Probably by rushing right in and ignoring Danzo completely, but that was past saving, now. 

“Old man,” Naruto greeted Sarutobi. “You wanted to see me?”

“Uzumaki,” Danzo drawled, and Naruto snapped his eyes to the man. “You have been doing very well in your classes, the past few weeks.”

Naruto forced a wide grin, pretending like he didn’t know  _ exactly  _ how screwed he was that Danzo was taking an interest in him. “Yeah! Iruka-sensei started giving me books to read since I have trouble focusing on lessons, and stuff to make it easier to read, too.” Looking to Sarutobi, he confessed, “I honestly just look at the pictures, though, most of the time. Words are  _ hard.”  _

Sarutobi’s eyes crinkled slightly, the man clearly repressing a fond smile, and Naruto counted it as a victory. Anything to ease the tension that hung around the man like a cloak. 

Unable to resist, Naruto looked back to Danzo, squinting up at him. “Who are you? Why are you asking about my grades?” He looked between Sarutobi and Danzo, pretending to contemplate. “Ah! Are you guys gonna make me a ninja now? I’d accept. The Academy is  _ boring.  _ I just nap in class and then read what Iruka gives me later.” 

Sarutobi huffed. “This is Danzo Shimura,” he introduced. “He is a member of the council, and an old friend of mine.”

“Why’s the council know about my grades?”

“ _ Everyone  _ knows about your grades,” Danzo told him. “You went from the lowest scores in the Academy as a whole to being among the highest, within weeks. It has become  _ gossip.”  _

Sarutobi waved a hand, as though to say ‘what he said.’ “That was the main reason I called you in. I wanted to know what caused the change. You said Iruka changed his teaching method for you? I’ll have to thank him.”

Naruto nodded emphatically. “Yeah! He told me I was really smart and everything, y’know? And he didn’t make fun of me for not being able to read really well. He gave me these little plants to chew on so I can focus better, and they  _ really  _ help.” 

Sarutobi was fully smiling, at that point, and Naruto beamed back as the old man spoke again. “I was just checking on you. Dramatic changes in performance, even for the better, can often indicate something is wrong. I wanted to make sure nothing happened.”

Naruto paused, because something  _ had  _ happened...including one thing he could actually  _ tell  _ the old man about.

Careful with his phrasing - Danzo was still present, after all - he told Sarutobi, “I missed a few lessons, because I kept skipping. I read what I missed, and ended up understanding it a lot better, so I did well on the test on it when I went back. Iruka asked about it, and I told him, and he started giving me books.” He reached up, combing a hand through his own hair. “Honestly, I wouldn’t have read them, either, but...he told me I did good. That I was really smart, and would learn a lot really fast. I didn’t want to let him down.”

Sarutobi was giving him a soft look, hiding a grief deep in his eyes that Naruto was long-practiced in picking out. “You haven’t. We are all quite proud of you, Naruto.”

Naruto grinned again, eyes watering, and he rushed forward to give Sarutobi a hug. He looked six, he could get away with it. “Thanks, old man! I’ll keep doing good, I promise! I’m gonna be in that hat one day, y’know?”

Sarutobi gave a soft, deep laugh, patting Naruto on the head. “Well, hurry up. I’m getting too old for it.” 

Naruto backed up, shooting the Hokage a thumbs up. “Got it! Keep it warm for me a few more years, though! I can’t be a Hokage at six, y’know!”

Sarutobi laughed again, and Naruto took the opportunity to take off - using a body flicker, because he really had no reason to  _ not  _ show off, at that point. 

Maybe he  _ would  _ become Hokage. It would be nice, at least, to meet Gaara on even ground, should the guy become Kazekage again himself. 

  
  
  


Gaara spent  _ his  _ third week in his six year old body training until he was fairly certain he was going to die, and then pushing that much further, relying on Shukaku to keep his body from shutting down. 

The result was that he managed to finally gain the ability to go through the type of exercises he was used to, which was nice. 

The problem that arose from that, though, is that after a few days, the late-night training stopped being an effective method of staying hidden. Shinobi villages rarely let changes in routine go unnoticed, and soon Gaara was noticing an increase in traffic around the training grounds each night - likely people trying to watch him for any signs of danger. 

Kankuro, once he got over his own initial terror at the idea of a well-trained jinchuuriki, thought it was hilarious. 

“You are training without even touching your sand, normally,” he pointed out. “That shows that you’re doing  _ way  _ better with control, but they’re apparently even more scared of you being able to throw a punch than anything.”

Gaara shook his head, trying to find a way to explain to Kankuro that the people of Suna had a right to be afraid. That if he hadn’t formed a tentative (and quickly becoming stronger) alliance with the Ichibi, Shukaku would have likely fought for control every second he trained, reacting to his split focus and physical exhaustion without hesitation. 

Luckily, he didn’t have to explain anything at all to Temari, who’d come to get him from one of his training sessions and informed him afterward that the people watching him were stupid - not because he was clearly not a risk, but because if he  _ was  _ one, all they’d be doing is putting themselves in the path of destruction. 

Gaara wondered, sometimes, how Temari ended up being so much more practical than her brothers. Not that Gaara was  _ im _ practical, he just...tended to do ridiculous things anyway.

He blamed Naruto, honestly. 

On top of the struggle of trying not to alert the citizens of Suna to his existence more than necessary, he also had to figure out how to get in contact with Naruto. Mainly because the two would need to work together to get anything major done, but...a small part of Gaara feared that he’d been the only one to make it back. He’d seen or heard nothing from Naruto, and while he understood that was sensible, it still worried him.

He made up his mind, then, that his mission for the day would be to skip his training and instead contact Naruto. He’d need to find a way to do that without seeming suspicious, though - he had no excuse to send a letter to Konoha for a boy he, at this time, had never met. He also needed to code it, most likely. If Naruto hadn’t made it, and it was his actual six year old self in Konoha, or if someone entirely different got their hands on the message, Gaara wouldn’t want them to be able to read it. 

Suddenly, Gaara had an idea, and he dressed for the day in his most subtle clothing and a hooded overshirt, hiding his hair and face, allowing him to pass unseen through the city. He was thankful, then, that he’d had the brilliant idea in his teens to carry a tiny gourd of sand instead of a large one, because after getting a replacement for it sized for his six-year-old self, he had a container of emergency defense sand that could hide easily under any loose shirt or coat. 

Ready for his self-imposed mission, Gaara set out for the civilian sector of the city. 

  
  


Technology in ninja villages was...mixed. Electricity and such were found everywhere, universally, for the most part, but shinobi tended to avoid a lot of modern amenities. Specifically phones and computers - anything that could make their information easier to access. 

Naruto hadn’t cared much for the status quo on that, and Gaara had heard many jokes from the other man that were followed up with, “I read that online.” 

If Gaara wanted to get Naruto a message, the easiest way for them to communicate effectively was through a medium no one would be looking out for. Konoha would know if their jinchuuriki suddenly started sending and receiving letters on the regular - especially sent through traditional means, rather than summons or shinobi couriers, since all civilian-run mail was recorded and reported - but if Gaara could find a way to get Naruto a phone or laptop, they could talk  _ daily  _ without being noticed. 

Well. Provided Gaara timed his calls well, at least. His siblings, once desensitized to their fear of him, were  _ nosy.  _ Gaara would have to be careful not to leave anything for them to find laying around. 

Gaara waited until he was walking through one of the alleys right on the border between the shinobi-run center of the village and the civilian-run outskirts, and ducked into a shadow to transform from the distinct appearance of his childhood self to a face no one here would recognize: tanned skin, soft features, and loose blonde hair - without hitai-ate or disfigured palms, his form of Deidara was hardly recognizable as the same man. It was probably an odd choice of face, but Gaara had always looked back on his fight with the man with a strange sense of grief. He’d seen the rage and anger and loneliness in the man in front of him and thought,  _ I could have been this.  _ It had always sat wrong with him that he hadn’t been able to talk the man down. 

He realized his mistake about five minutes later, walking down one of the busier streets: Deidara was  _ pretty.  _ He was being watched every step. 

He sighed, trying to decide if it was better or worse than being a six year old.

He heard a group of teenage-sounding girls to one side of him start to giggle.

Worse.

Definitely  _ worse _ . 

He wished he had Naruto’s talent for just creating faces (even if he only ever used it for that  _ ‘Reverse Harem _ ’ perversion). Disguises had never been his thing. He tended to just body flicker away or similarly vanish. 

Deeming it too late to fix it, Gaara ducked into the building he’d been aiming for: a civilian library.

While libraries on the shinobi half of the village tended to be creepy single rooms packed entirely with academic books and scrolls, civilian libraries were vast and varied. This particular one, Suna’s main civilian library, was  _ massive,  _ and had many different sections, from non-chakra related academic texts to storybooks to a small area of videotapes. 

Most importantly, though, in the back of the room, there was a table with two rarely-used research computers. 

Naruto had once dubbed computers like the ones here ‘clunky,’ and told him in great detail about how much nicer personal computers could be. Once, in a hastily assembled camp in war-torn land while on the run from Kaguya, Naruto had mused over what sort of computers and such would have been like had they not spent nearly two years watching the world fall to ash. 

Gaara frowned at the thought process, and dismissed it, sitting down to one of the desktops before him. In the middle of the day, during the week, no one was around, which meant he could browse unhindered. 

Eventually, he found what he was looking for: a message board for citizens of shinobi villages, discussing things like how to deal with your child showing a talent for chakra manipulation or what kind of plants they could grow in their gardens to help field medics. 

He searched through the boards, looking for someone he could establish a rapport with in Konoha. If he could talk someone into delivering a message, however that message would be disguised, it would be his way to get word to Naruto without directly showing his hand. 

He paused, for a moment, scrolling through one of the forums, because he saw a post that caught his eye. 

_[User: BlondBushclover]_ _{Topic: Gardening} Can I grow a cactus in Konoha?_

He didn’t really think twice before clicking it, just out of curiosity. 

The post read as follows:

_ I own a flower shop, and the other day someone showed me a picture of some cactus flowers, and my daughter loved them. I want to grow some, but I don’t know if that’s possible outside of the desert. Anyone know how to care for them? _

Gaara blinked. He...really didn’t expect finding a way to talk to someone in Konoha to be so easy. Or actually  _ exciting.  _ He liked plants. 

He quickly created his own account on the site, under the username  _ RedSand,  _ and started on a reply.

  
  


Inoichi, as head of Torture and Investigation, knew that most shinobi avoided things that made their information vulnerable. 

He also knew that between his and Shikaku’s strategic thinking, if they let their information get stolen, it was their own damn fault.

Thus, he hadn’t wasted much time getting a computer for the flower shop shortly after becoming proficient with the ones used in Investigations. 

It came in handy, especially at times like this.

_ Ping! _

He grinned as another message popped in, from the mysterious Suna citizen who had replied to his post on cacti. They’d been messaging back and forth as Inoichi tried to work out exactly which type of plant -  _ succulents,  _ RedSand had called them - he wanted to grow, and how to do so.

_ If you are simply looking for flowering ones, there are many species that produce buds,  _ the most recent message read.  _ Colors and sizes of buds vary by species. You said the buds you saw in the photo were purple? They were probably ice plants. Trailing ice plants are good for large purple flowers, and tufted ice plants have very tiny buds. I’d recommend one of those. Being in a shinobi village, you may also find aloe vera to be of use - the gel has exceptional healing properties. It can soothe burns and dried, cracked skin almost immediately. It is also, I’m told, rather good for hair and skin.  _

A moment later, and a notification popped with a follow-up message, this one only a single line.

_ I have also used it to remove eyeliner, and my sister has used it as a general makeup remover. I don’t know if that is of use to you, personally, but you mentioned a daughter of unspecified age. If she is in or approaching teen years, makeup remover is a good thing to keep at hand. They tend to forget they have to take it off when in the process of putting it on. My sister has scrubbed her skin red many times.  _

Inoichi laughed at the image. Ino was only six, sure, but he had the feeling she’d be into makeup when she was older. She was already getting superficial about her hair and clothes, after all. 

_ Thanks,  _ he sent back.  _ Aloe and ice plants sound like a good place to start. Now I just have to figure out where to actually get them.  _

There was a long pause in the messenger, long enough for Inoichi to fetch a cup of coffee and return, before a new message pinged. 

_ I live in Suna, and there are many couriers sent between our village. It would be little work for me to give them seeds or small pots to deliver, if you’d like? For the record, I needn’t know who you are to do this. Messengers to shinobi villages are well versed in leaving mail as a dead drop for whoever has the knowledge of where to retrieve it.  _

Surprisingly insightful, for a civilian. Inoichi narrowed his eyes slightly, reading and re-reading the messages.

The person’s tone was heavily formal, throughout all the messages, and they never once used abbreviations or incorrect punctuation. It read eerily like an official document, and Inoichi realized with a start that the person he was speaking to was likely some form of record keeper, or other functionary. They likely worked with Suna’s government, then - meaning its Kage. Meaning they were a  _ shinobi.  _

He hesitated in his reply, thinking of how to approach the new knowledge. It didn’t really change much, if their conversation had been honest on both sides - which Inoichi genuinely thought it had. The user, RedSand, seemed extremely fond of the little plants he kept telling Inoichi about, and never said anything that seemed like a leading statement or a prodding question - nothing that would give him any information on who Inoichi was, specifically. 

A florist with a daughter was enough to go on for a particularly determined sort of freak, but somehow Inoichi wasn’t too concerned with a random stranger with a love of desert plants. 

_ No need for a drop,  _ he sent back, knowing that if the other  _ was  _ a shinobi, he’d understand the meaning.  _ The couriers here know me well enough. It can trade hands from yours to mine, and I’ll get it right away. Thank you for the offer - I’ll have someone send back payment.  _

There was a new message almost immediately. 

_ If I were to ask any payment, it would be that you display the succulents proudly. Not many people realize the desert can be beautiful.  _

Inoichi huffed, taking a sip of his coffee. He didn’t know what this other random ninja was up to, but…

He looked to the side, where his daughter was trying desperately to get lilacs to braid into a flower crown. 

As long as he had the chance to do something nice for Ino, he’d take the risk of encouraging a random Suna weirdo. 

It wasn’t like Inoichi was worried he couldn’t take him. 

  
  
  


Kakashi had become renowned among the Anbu as a stern but effective leader for one reason above all others: he kept a close watch on those under his command.

Which is why, when Team Ro was returning from a mission and making their way back toward the Hokage tower, he didn’t hesitate to stop and check on Tenzo when the boy stopped dead on one of the roofs in the civilian district. 

Kakashi followed his wary, narrow-eyed gaze to Yamanaka Flowers, where a young woman stood in front of what appeared to be a display of cacti.

Curious. Kakashi didn’t remember those being there - Inoichi must have gotten them while they were away. 

The woman was pretty, from what he could make out: gentle blonde hair falling over her shoulders, and an orange dress that hugged her nicely without being obscene. She was the kind of person who was pleasant to look at, but not one that would catch someone’s eye so dramatically as to make an Anbu agent freeze midstep. 

Kakashi turned to Tenzo, raising an eyebrow behind his mask, knowing that the kid wouldn’t need to see it to get the message.

“That woman,” he said. “She holds herself like a shinobi, but has no hitai-ate and is dressed in civilian clothing.”

Kakashi hummed. “Retired?”

Tenzo gave him a dry look. “She keeps shifting uncomfortably. She is not used to the feel of her own body. She is under a henge.”

Kakashi looked to the flower stand again, and then sighed. He pulled off the distinctly Anbu bits of his uniform - such as the mask - and tossed them to one of the other squad members. “Report on your own,” he told them, as Tenzo removed his own uniform. “We have a suspicious person to investigate. We’ll catch up when it’s handled.” 

The squad took off toward the tower again, and Kakashi and Tenzo made their way off the roofs, preparing their approach. 

  
  


Naruto had learned, sometime in his later teens, that the gorgeous eye-catching women he usually used for henges were not the best choice for trying to do something unnoticed. Therefore, he’d found a way to get exactly pretty enough to be distracting if necessary, but not so much so that he’d attracted attention he didn’t want.

Thus, when he wanted to look into the strange additions to Inoichi’s flower stand, it was little work to henge into a pretty adult woman and stroll up to ask about them. 

He’d learned about them when he overheard Ino telling Sakura about them in class - apparently, her dad had a friend in Suna who had sent cacti for him to grow in the flower shop, since Ino thought they were pretty. 

Now, Naruto didn’t exactly hear  _ Suna  _ and think “oh, that  _ must  _ be Gaara!” He did, however, think Inoichi having connections to Suna would be a good way to contact his friend. 

Standing in front of the display, though, he realized he’d been beaten to the punch: the cacti sat in cute little decorated pots, the aloe plant being in the largest one - a soft yellow color with a bright red kanji for  _ love  _ painted on the front. 

The other pots had  _ life  _ and  _ laugh  _ written on them, so the  _ love  _ pot made it look like it was simply a set of motivational decorative pots, but Naruto knew that kanji and its coloring well. That was Gaara, no doubt about it. 

Naruto looked to Inoichi, who was leaning on the counter, seeming a hair’s breadth away from falling asleep. Poor guy probably came right off a T&I shift. 

“Excuse me, Yamanaka-san,” Naruto said, watching the blond man drag heavy eyes to him - or, well,  _ her  _ at the moment. “I was wondering if you could tell me where you got these? I’d very much like some for my own apartment. They’re quite cute.” 

“Oh,” Inoichi said, straightening. “I got them from a friend in Suna. I could ask him if he’s willing to get more for you, if you’d like?” 

“Oh, thank you so much,” Naruto said. “I could write a letter myself if you’d like, so you can just pass it on? That way you don’t have to be a courier between us if he responds.”

“Sure,” Inoichi said. He stepped aside, returning with paper and a pen. “I have traditional envelopes back here, too, I think. If you can go ahead and write it, I’ll send it with the next courier that comes through.” 

Naruto grinned, taking the materials and starting a letter. 

  
  
  


“...Gaara?” Temari called, heading into the house, trailed closely by Kankuro. Gaara peeked out of the kitchen to see her looking suspicious, clutching a tiny white envelope - the kind used for civilian mail. “You...have a letter. I think. The couriers said it was for you.”

A reply from the online friend? Thanking him for the cacti? Gaara frowned, approaching her to take the letter. If it was him, it would be odd the man would chose to send him a physical letter in an envelope rather than a message online or, at best, a scroll. 

He flipped it over, and blinked when he saw familiar shaky handwriting across the front, reading  _ CACTUS GUY. _

Gaara let out a low, relieved breath.

_ Naruto _ . 

“Thank you, Temari,” he said, cradling the letter close. “I have been tending the cacti. This is a correspondence I was expecting relating to their care.”

She pursed her lips, clearly wanting to question him further, but he scampered off to his room before she could to read the letter.

 

_ Yo, cactus boy, _ the letter began, and Gaara snorted - Naruto would consider that to be a ‘subtle’ greeting. 

_ These little things are super cute. Except the big one. Aloe looks super prickly, and the kanji on the front looks angry. I’d like one, too, but try and send me something happier. I can’t afford to be bummed out right now! My life is going too good for that!  _

_ Oh, and since I’m pretty sure old Inoichi isn’t gonna actually read this far, if he broke into this - rude, by the way, nosy bastard - I’m trying to get my hands on a phone or something. It’s so hard when you’re six, man. Why did you have to pick six?  _

_ Don’t answer that. How IS your uncle, anyway? Is he nice? If he’s not, let me know, I’ll come beat him up! The academy thinks I’m a prodigy, which is pretty cool, even if it’s complete crap. I could be a ninja at the end of this year if I wanted, and then I’d be hiking right up to Suna to box the ears of anyone who thinks they can be mean to my best bud! _

_ That’s you, by the way. All my other best buds are kids. Sakura is still six and I’m not entirely certain Sasuke won’t try to kill me when I actually talk to him. His brother isn’t crazy yet, though, so I’m sure it’ll be fine. Probably. _

_ Okay, so, Inoichi is eyeballing me pretty hard for how much I’m writing, and I’m pretty sure my old pervert of a sensei (Kakashi, not Jiraiya) figured out that I’m under a henge, because I sense his chakra a little ways behind me watching me. Time to sneak out and head home, I guess. Maybe I’ll let them see me change back, ha. That’ll give them something to panic about, wouldn’t it? The jerks.  _

_ Oh my god, the kid with him is Yamato-sensei. I’m going to die. He’s even creepier as a teenager.  _

_ Write me back, asshole! Otherwise I really WILL march to Suna, y’know! _

_ Later! _

_ The Coolest Ninja You Know  _

 

Gaara flopped back onto his bed, resisting the urge to sob with sheer relief.

Naruto had made it back, too, and was doing well. And causing absolute terror, apparently, but that was to be expected. 

He headed to his desk, and carefully started penning a reply. 

 

Naruto had, in fact, let Kakashi see him change back - he even made a great show of changing back in one of the alleys, cackling like he’d pulled off a great prank. Let them sweat on that one for a while - it would at least buy him some time where no one got suspicious at his total  _ lack  _ of pranks. 

Not, of course, that he didn’t want to do them - he just didn’t have the  _ time.  _ Iruka gave him so many books to read, he thought he was going to drown in them. Or die from chewing up too much ginseng root. 

A few days later, after carefully pretending not to notice Kakashi and kid-Yamato watching him wherever he went, a courier bird swooped down to Naruto’s window, dropping a traditional envelope on the windowsill without pausing its flight. 

Naruto whooped in joy, opening the window to fetch it, sparing only a second’s thought to how he was going to explain  _ that  _ one. 

 

_ Naruto, _

_ Please do not let your former/future teachers catch you corresponding with the only other jinchuuriki known by name. Especially one commonly considered to be a psychopath. _

_ I have begun training my physical strength to restore it to former levels, and you would think I am regularly setting the training fields on fire. I forgot how tiring it was to have people fear you beyond reason. I hope you are faring better.  _

_ My uncle is alive, well, and wonderful as I remember - he has been instrumental in winning the trust of my siblings. The three of us are rather close-knit now, which makes me unspeakably happy. I missed them.  _

_ As I think it would amuse you, here’s the story of how I won over Kankuro: I made curry bread. That is about the extent of the effort that particular relationship took.  _

_ If you choose to graduate early, please keep in mind that I will not even begin the Academy until age eight. Graduating this year would place me two years behind you, and therefore I would not be of much use as an ally.  _

_ Unless, of course, you are still entertaining the idea of simply running off. I think I could get away with it. My siblings would cover for me, I believe. _

_ To avoid talking of minor treason further, I wanted to ask how you felt about this plan: the chunnin exams next year, if I’m not mistaken, are being hosted in Konoha, as per the five-year cycle between villages. I could likely convince the others to take me along, and that would give us a good opportunity to ‘meet’ each other. It would be much easier to befriend you as Gaara, than as ‘cactus guy.’ Thank you for that, by the way. My sister is dying to know what the letter you sent was, but I have no doubt Kakuro will be satisfied simply teasing me over the label until the end of time.  _

_ Also, I caught your ‘subtle’ prompting there. Don’t worry - if I remake my Ai scar, it will carry an entirely different context this time. It will not be that I can only carry love for myself, and that only I can love me - it will instead mean that I am grounded by love, both for myself and for my precious people, and that no power can be claimed over me while that holds true. _

_ I’m most likely going to remake the scar, though, if only because my face seems odd to me without it. Imagine losing your whisker marks.  _

_ Love from Suna, and from your ‘best bud’,  _

_ Gaara _

 

Naruto grinned at the letter, eyes slightly wet with tears.

Gaara was finally getting the chance to be happy. Things were going well. Even if later, they died trying to stop the Akatsuki, they would at least have a happy childhood under their belts for once. 

With that in mind, Naruto decided he’d do his best to get as ready as possible to be the best ninja he could be once again. When Gaara came next year for the chunnin exams, they’d meet not as jinchuuriki or as enemies, but as two kids who were excited to serve their villages. As the sons of two Kages, and as two lonely boys who really just need a friend that understands.

“One year, then, Gaara,” Naruto murmured to himself, fetching a paper to pen a quick reply to the letter. “I’ll be ready when you get here, y’know, so you better be ready too!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> other things you can pry from my cold dead weeb fingers include botanist gaara and hyperactive genius naruto


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto is a little shit and Gaara has daddy issues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so, important things of note  
> a lot of things in blackkat's fics are her personal headcanons, and those include shisui's personality, which in the show is. very unexplored beyond "loyal and kind"  
> so his personality in this vs reverse is gonna be a lot different 99% of the time  
> just as a head's up bc while this fic is inspired by blackkat's works, its not a clone and it is rarely going to mirror them  
> also this chapter starts naruto's story on the path of how his ninja career is gonna go, since he's already cocked up the original Worst to First path he was on the first time

Naruto stared up at Iruka, trying to process what he was being told.

“...What?”

Iruka let out a frustrated huff. “Listen up this time, because I’m not saying it another! The Hokage approved you to advance a few years, if you want. You said you don’t want to graduate just yet, but you’re still past the point where my teaching is helping. You need to be with kids who are learning at your level.” 

Naruto straightened. “But...then you wouldn’t be my sensei, anymore.”

Iruka softened immediately, crouching down before Naruto to smile kindly at him. “No, I wouldn’t. I would still be willing to help you when you needed it, and you could talk to me at any time, but your primary teaching would go through another teacher. Probably Daikoku or Suzume.”

Naruto frowned. “What if I’m not able to keep up?” Once begun, the nervous questions spilled out of him like a waterfall. “What if they don’t like me? What if the other kids hate me because I’m younger? What if-...”

“Naruto!” Iruka interrupted, grabbing his shoulders. He looked his student dead in the eyes, before giving him a friendly grin. “You can do this. I know you can.”

Naruto sucked in a breath, because in eighteen years of life, he could still remember every single time anyone had ever told him that. He nodded, determined, his mind made up - he’d apologize to Gaara for skipping ahead later. “Okay. Whose class am I gonna be in, then?” 

  
  
  


Suzume blinked down at the little boy who had stumbled into her classroom, looking around with wide blue eyes. She started to tell him he was lost, and redirect him to Iruka...only he looked up, and she caught sight of the lines running over his cheeks, which marked him as a child of the Kyuubi. 

This was the  _ Uzumaki.  _

She twitched. When Iruka had mentioned he was moving up, he had done so in a way that had her assuming he would go to Daikoku, and the class of eight year olds. A mild bump, at best.

But, no. Here he was, with her  _ ten year olds.  _ At  _ six.  _

Were they trying to make another  _ Itachi _ ?

“Uh,” the boy murmured, looking up to her. “Are you Suzume-sensei? I don’t actually know where any of the rooms are except Iruka-sensei’s, so I just kind of went somewhere. You look kind of familiar though. Oh, you teach the kunoichi classes! Oh, man, am I in the right place?”

“You are,” she told him. “I am Suzume. They moved you to my class, then?” She waved out to her classroom setup - the only room with individual desks, instead of tables, all of which were put in by her specifically. “Take a seat. With a new student I have to rework my seating chart, so it doesn’t really matter where you go today. I’m sure the other kids will appreciate being able to sit wherever they want.”

“Um, okay,” Naruto murmured, before heading to the very back of the room and sitting in one of the corner desks. Suzume twitched again - that was a troublemaker’s seat, and he’d gone straight for it. This was going to be terrible. 

She sighed, pulling out her seating chart and starting to plan where each child would be placed for minimal distractions. She’d resign herself to petitioning the Hokage later to move him again, she supposed. 

  
  


Suzume was a proud, intelligent kunoichi, for all her quirks - she tended to be emotionally sensitive, and was obsessive regarding cleanliness and organization. 

This intelligence meant that, when she assessed a situation, she was rarely  _ entirely  _ wrong.

Nonetheless, looking at her first assignment from the Uzumaki kid, she realized this was a time in which she had been. 

She had taken the opportunity of a new student to issue a surprise pop quiz, which would test the knowledge of her existing students and also gauge what exactly the six year old knew. 

She didn’t expect him to pass. Let alone do the best in her whole class. 

It was all fairly basic knowledge, even for Academy students, so it was reasonable to assume he’d learned it from advanced study in Iruka’s class. He explained the basics of what chakra was, and illustrated the differences between Yin and Yang chakra well, as well as nailing the questions on shinobi codes and principles. His answers - especially in history questions - were  _ colorful _ to be kind, filled with slang and rambling explanations and exclamations of praise for things he found to be ‘so cool!’ Still, the answers were undeniably correct, and him being able to phrase things so simply showed a deep understanding of the concepts. 

Some of the answers struck her particularly hard, though, upon further reading, and she pursed her lips as she re-read them. 

_ Q: What are the two most basic principles of being a shinobi? _

_ A: Everyone says it’s ‘watch your back’ and ‘stay ahead of the enemy’, so I guess that’s what I’m supposed to write? But it’s way more important to watch your friends than your back. I’d rather someone hit me in the back when I was standing over an ally than go straight through a friend when they were on their own, y’know? Not that I really need to worry about that right now, ‘cause I’m only a student and no one really likes spending time with me anyway, so I have nobody to protect. But I’d absolutely take a kunai to the back for my precious people, y’know.  _

She sighed, leaning back. It was such a disturbing answer - that he’d taken a basic trivia question and turned it into a lecture on teamwork. 

The other one that struck her to the core, though, was the full answer on chakra types. 

_ Q: What are the basic types of chakra? _

_ A: I can’t figure out what this means so I’m gonna answer twice, okay? Yin and Yang chakra are the main parts of your chakra in your body. Yin is stuff like spirit and mental energy, and Yang is physical stuff. I have a ton of Yang chakra, so I’m super strong, but my Yin chakra is really bad, so chakra control is hard for me. That might also be why I can’t ever focus on anything, now that I think about it. Maybe I should look into that? Anyway, the other types are elemental chakra - that’s how you can make your chakra form when it comes out of your body. Fire, wind, earth, water, and lightning are the base five. Lightning always seemed weird to me because it’s not what you normally think of as an element, y’know? I thought that would be like..fire and wind together. But nope, it’s its own thing. Every shinobi has an element they’re good at naturally, and you can learn the others if you try really hard or if you have a way of cheating it. I’m naturally great with wind! I need to learn some others, though, because pretty much everyone in Konoha is good with fire, which means they could all kick my butt if they wanted. Not that I want to fight anyone in the village, but we have spars and stuff, y’know? _

Suzume let her eyes slide closed, dropping her head down onto her desk.

She had a six year old hyperactive genius in her class, and had to find a way to turn him into a respectable shinobi in the next two years. 

She was going to throttle Iruka. 

  
  


Naruto had been six for four months when it clicked in his head that he would soon be considered  _ seven.  _

He’d changed classes with the change of term, in early September, which meant it was fast approaching October - the tenth of which was his birthday. 

He groaned when that occurred to him, because that meant he would have been  _ nineteen,  _ and instead he was a full twelve years behind. 

“Naruto,” a harsh female voice snapped, and Naruto looked up quickly, grimacing at his teacher. He’d sort of forgotten he was in class, honestly. “Something about my lesson boring you?”

He rubbed the back of his head. “Ahh, no, Suzume-sensei. I just remember that it's almost-...Uh. I remembered something.” He figured advertising his birthday on the anniversary of the fox attack probably wasn’t a  _ great  _ way to make friends in his new class. 

Suzume gave a wicked-sharp smile. “Well, I hope it was the Henge that I’ve heard rumors of you practicing on your own, since that’s what we’re studying. Go on and demonstrate, will you?”

Naruto twitched. Normally, he’d have jumped at the opportunity for a prank jutsu - but Suzume was  _ scary.  _ If he made her mad, she’d throttle him, and if he upset her, she’d cry  _ while  _ she throttled him. He needed to do something decent, which he really wasn’t that great with. Exaggeration was more his style.

He stood up anyway, taking a step back from his desk for space - the thing about the lack of tables, at least, was it meant he didn’t need to go to the front of the room for this. He formed the hand seal, and considered briefly what to change to...before it hit him, and he laughed to himself, summoning the chakra and connecting his hands. 

_ Take this, you old bastard,  _ he thought, and within moments, he was looking to his teacher through Danzo’s one uncovered eye. 

Suzume seemed taken aback. “...You know  _ Shimura?”  _ she asked. “A council member?”

Naruto changed back, laughing it off like a small joke. “Eh, he was in the old man’s office the other day. He was super creepy, so I remembered his face easy.” 

Suzume looked like she was going to burst a vein. “Don’t call a council member creepy, you brat!” she scolded. “Sit back down.” As he returned to his seat, she stalked forward, dropping a book on his desk. “If you’re not getting anything from my lectures, we may as well take a page out of Iruka’s book. Read this.”

“...Uh,” Naruto said, turning the book to show his teacher the cover. “This one? You sure?”

“Yes, I’m-...oh.” Suzume blinked down at the book, before turning red and snatching the romance novel back, rushing to replace it with a technical book on shinobi code. “Shut up, brat.”

Naruto snickered, cracking open the book - it seemed he attracted pervert teachers like flies. 

  
  


Naruto almost forgot about Itachi, right up until he saw a flicker of his distinct black hair on his way home from the Academy. The boy was loaded with groceries and headed for the Uchiha compound - and not alone. 

“ _ No _ ,” Itachi was saying. “If you teach my brother to body flicker, he’ll start running himself into the dirt. He needs better chakra control, first.”

“ _ Itachi _ ,” the older boy with him whined. “He’s been begging me to teach him. If I say no, I’ll feel mean.”

“Then I’ll say no for you.”

“Itachi!”

“ _ No,  _ Shisui,” Itachi said, sternly, pausing in his stride for a moment to glare at the older boy.

Naruto stumbled, because that…. _ that  _ was the boy who would drive the wedge between Itachi and his clan, between him and Konoha, between him and his own  _ sanity.  _

And he was still alive.

Things were not yet dire. 

Without hesitation, Naruto launched his way up to them - using a body flicker of his own, because he loved the opportunity to show off a little bit. 

“Hi!” he greeted, happily, his smile only slightly faltering when Itachi took a reflexive step back and Shisui shifted ever-so-slightly toward a battle stance. “You’re Sasuke’s brother, right?”

“...Yes,” Itachi confirmed, reluctantly. His eyes darted around, and Naruto realized he was checking for people watching. 

“Oh,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess talking to me is probably a bad idea for you guys. People are already super jumpy about Uchihas, and no one really wants to have anything to do with me. I just wanted to-...”

“Wait,” Shisui cut in, and Naruto’s mouth clicked shut automatically. “It’s not a problem. Like you said, people already have reason to dislike us, whatever they may be - if someone choses to be cruel to you or I for this conversation, that is their problem.”

Naruto blinked, and then grinned wide. “Awesome!” he said. “The only other person who doesn’t really care what people think about letting me hang around is old man Teuchi. And his daughter, I guess, but she’s like...twelve. And  _ really  _ nice. I don’t think she’d hate  _ anybody.”  _

Itachi’s eye twitched slightly, but Shisui simply gave a kind, patient smile. “You said you wanted to say something?”

“Oh, right!” Naruto straightened, looking to Itachi. “Your brother is  _ really  _ smart! I’m not in his class anymore, but-...”

“Wait, hold on,” Itachi interrupted. “ _ You  _ are the student who was promoted?”

“...Yes?” 

Itachi groaned. “It figures.” 

Naruto looked to Shisui for explanation, and the older teen laughed to himself. “Sasuke has been in a mood lately,” he informed Naruto. “He has apparently decided that his brother  _ and  _ his classmate are prodigies, and that means he needs to step up. He’s scrambling to get as far ahead as possible.”

Sasuke...was considering  _ him  _ a rival? Naruto tried not to laugh, but…

Itachi glared at him, so he instantly lifted his hands, trying to appease the boy. 

“I’m not laughing at him!” Naruto said. “It’s just...I can’t even  _ read  _ well,” he confessed. “Iruka-sensei had to work really hard to help me learn anything, since I read best from reading and am  _ not good at reading.  _ Sasuke was way better than me!” He ran a hand through his blonde hair, wondering at this turn of events. “I only got bumped up because I was learning higher-level stuff. If you asked me to take a test on the stuff Sasuke knows by heart, I’d fail it. I’m just good with ninjutsu, is all, and that’s what most lessons are on.”

“That is humble of you,” Shisui said. 

“Eh,” Naruto said, waving him off. “Not really. I’m kind of an idiot, actually.”

Shisui blinked, slowly, before looking to Itachi. The two boys stared at each other, before Itachi sighed, shoulders drooping, and he nodded like he was agreeing to some unspoken question.

Before Naruto could ask, Shisui turned a wide smile on him. “Would you like to come have dinner with us? You can compliment Sasuke directly.” 

Naruto was going to  _ cry.  _

  
  
  


Walking into the Uchiha compound, Naruto was reminded exactly how  _ hated  _ he was. Most of the village at this point pretty much ignored him as a rule, with the Academy students spreading word that he was extremely good in classes, making everyone cautious about showing outright hostility. 

The Uchiha, though, were a clan full of geniuses, and were hated for the rumor that they were involved in the Kyuubi attack. It would stand to reason, then, that they would hate the Kyuubi container - and most certainly  _ not  _ want to directly associate with it.

Naruto slowed the further they got into the complex, trying to hunch down to make himself less obvious. “Maybe I shouldn’t come with you,” he said to Shisui. “No one really wants me here.”

“Don’t be silly,” Shisui told him. “I do.” 

Naruto let out a sharp breath, straightening back out. He wasn’t going to shirk someone’s kindness, and if someone dared to say something about his new friend, he’d….

Well. He’d find a way to get them to stop without making anyone hate him any more, hopefully. Or, if that failed, he’d just make them hate him so much they wouldn’t remember to hate Shisui. The teen was really nice! He didn’t deserve to be glared at by his family all the time. 

“Mom,” Itachi called out, stepping into what Naruto assumed was his house. “We’re back.”

A pretty woman leaned out of the kitchen doorway, blinking at them. “You..brought a guest.”

Naruto took a half-step back, before dropping into a as polite a bow as he could manage. “I asked to talk to Sasuke!” He offered, as explanation. “I was in his class, but I’m not anymore, and I just wanted to-...”

The woman laughed, waving him off. “You’re fine, son. I hope my relatives didn’t scare you too much. They’re all grumpy, but I promise they’ll listen if I tell them to leave you alone.” Her face turned scary, then, and she muttered, “At least, they  _ better.”  _

Naruto remembered, then, that this woman - Mikoto - had been friends with his mom, not that either one of them would be able to say anything about it. Still, a kindness done in Kushina’s name was good enough for him, and he scrambled to take off his shoes and follow Shisui into the kitchen. 

“Do you know how to cook, Naruto?” Shisui asked. “I remembered on the way home that you live by yourself, and it occurred to me I don’t know what you eat.” 

“Ramen,” Naruto answered, happily. “I make the instant stuff at home, but Ichiraku’s is the best.”

“What else?” Shisui asked.

Naruto paused, thinking back to age six...because, honestly, he had no idea. He couldn’t remember eating much the past few months besides excessive ramen and random filler meals to appease the voice in his head nagging him about nutrition that sounded suspiciously like Gaara. “Uh,” he said. “A lot of stuff you can make in a microwave, and sometimes actual stuff, if I can get the ingredients.”

Shisui frowned. “If?”

Naruto shifted his weight, because he  _ hated  _ talking about his life like this - knowing that it would make the person he was telling it to either think he deserved it or think he  _ didn’t,  _ and neither was quite true. “I don’t get to shop much. It’s gotten a little better, lately, ‘cause I can do a henge and shop in the civilian stores, but-...”

“You aren’t allowed in stores,” Shisui said, voice dangerously low.

Naruto backpedalled. “Not-! Not all of them, but some let me! Like, uh. I get my normal stuff at the drugstore?” 

Shisui’s eye twitched. “That crusty old pervert is the  _ only one  _ who lets you shop in his store?”

Naruto scratched at his cheek. “I’m not saying this right…”

“You’re saying it perfectly,” Shisui said, before kneeling in front of him. “Naruto, if you ever need something you can’t get, let me know. I will make sure it gets to you.”

Naruto blinked, and his eyes welled up with tears quickly, as he threw himself forward to hug the teen. “Thank you,” he whispered, fiercely. “I don’t need anything, but it’s really nice that you offered.” 

Shisui patted his back. “No one should grow up on their own,” he said. “You’re six, and people are expecting you to be an adult. It’s just cruel.”

Naruto almost laughed, because he technically  _ was  _ an adult, but. Well. The less they knew, right?

“Mom?” a small voice called, and Naruto looked over to watch a tiny Sasuke pad into the kitchen. The boy froze as he and Naruto locked eyes, and then he bristled, face puffing out in an epic pout. “What’s  _ he _ doing here?”

Naruto wondered if being referred to with such venom was more or less hurtful when it was personal.  _ More _ , if the sting in his chest was any indication. 

“I invited him,” Shisui said, standing up. “Your brother and I ran into him on the street, and realized he was your former classmate.”

Sasuke sniffed. “He’s not in my class, now. He’s with the ten-year-olds.” 

“That far a jump?” Itachi asked, looking down to Naruto, speaking directly to him for once. “Why not just put you in for early graduation?”

Naruto bounced between his feet, nervous at all the attention on him. “I’m nowhere near ready to graduate! I just pick up ninjutsu really quick, so they put me in the class that focuses most on that. Who knows how long I’ll actually be in the Academy! I could be out later than Sasuke, even if I am grades ahead.”

Sasuke straightened at that. “You might not graduate early?”

“Nah,” Naruto said. “I think I might actually fail the test if I tried. I can’t read or write very well at all, and history and theory gets all mixed up in my head. All I can really do is stuff with actual chakra involved. With how good you are at the other stuff, we’re probably set to graduate about the same time, y’know?”

Naruto looked over, surprised to see Sasuke looking  _ elated.  _ “We could end up in the same graduating class?”

“Yeah, totally,” Naruto confirmed, totally taken aback at Sasuke’s enthusiasm. “Maybe even the same genin team, if we’re both early - they’d want to keep the younger kids together, probably, y’know?” 

Sasuke crossed the room quickly, grabbing Naruto by the shoulders, leaving the blond staring blankly at him. “I’m gonna graduate when I’m eight,” he declared. “Like my brother did, and like you’re gonna do. You’re gonna be my rival.”

Naruto blinked, and then grinned. “You better study hard, then! I’m already ahead of you.”

The boys looked at each other happily, and Naruto let out a breath of relief, because  _ finally,  _ they were getting somewhere. 

  
  


Gaara kept his shoulders squared as he headed into the office of the Kazekage, trying not to let the stares and whispers get to him. Some of the less seasoned shinobi took half-steps back to get out of his way, and he couldn’t help but flinch slightly each time it happened. 

Finally, he reached his father’s office, and took a deep breath as he readied himself to enter it. In the four months he had been back into his child self, he had not interacted at all with his father. He knew Temari and Kankuro saw him near daily - they visited his office and his separate estate regularly - but Gaara had always been kept at arm’s length. In his teen years, Gaara had forgiven his father for this, because he understood why it was done: Rasa did not want to treat Gaara as a child, lest he become too attached to fulfil his duty should his son prove to be a ‘failed experiment.’ 

It was not an excuse, and it was still a poor way to treat one’s own flesh and blood, but Gaara did not hold a grudge. His father had been launched straight from worrying over his village to mourning his wife to panicking over the sanity of his son. In light of that, Gaara could forgive his poor choices. 

He opened the door at last, strolling in, ignoring the shinobi who were gathered in the office turning to look at him.

Rasa straightened at his desk. “Gaara. What did you need?”

Gaara stopped in the center of the office, and then let out a slow breath, before dropping into a respectful bow. “I would like to petition you for a favor.”

The silence spanned so long that Gaara had to look back up, concerned something was wrong, to see Rasa blinking at him with clear confusion. “...What favor?”

“Temari and Kankuro are both doing well in their classes, and I have started training on my own,” Gaara told him, ignoring the sharp inhales around him. “I want to see how well we are doing comparatively. If you would permit it, I’d like to go with you next year to the chunin exams, and watch them with you.”

Rasa stared. “I heard reports that you’d claimed a training ground. Why are you so interested in this?”

Gaara frowned, because he could recognize a leading question when it was thrown right at him. Rasa was trying to trap him - get him to admit ill intent. “I am the only shinobi child in the village without a single day’s worth of parent-led training,” he told his father, watching the man twitch slightly at the accusation in the words. “Everyone watches me because they don’t think I’m in control, but they won’t let me  _ learn  _ to control myself. My sand is full of my chakra and I can’t help stop it if I don’t know how to manipulate chakra at all.” He held out a hand, palm up, and had his sand swirl in it, watching the observers back up several steps and form battle stances. Instead of lashing out, though, he let the sand collect in his palm, tightening itself into a neat little sediment statue of a cactus. He gave the others a moment to let out small, disbelieving gasps, and then looked to his father. “I know who and what I am, father, and I will not let myself be afraid of it. If I am going to be anyone worth knowing, let me be a shinobi. All I ask is to be given the chance.”

Rasa watched Gaara, slightly slack-jawed at the revelations. “You speak like an adult,” Rasa told him, after a moment, and Gaara tried not to reveal any amusement on his face. “You clearly know what you want, and after seeing how hard you have worked for it, I’m not to deny you.” He leaned forward onto his desk, steepling his fingers. “Conscript Temari and Kankuro as your team, for now, and I’ll get you a private teacher. The three of you will learn as though you are a genin team already, and next year, I will permit you to see where that path will lead in the future, should you stick with it. You and I will see the chunin exams together.”

Gaara smiled brightly, and for once did not even take note of the reactions to it. “Thank you, father,” he said. “I am grateful.” He shifted, then, considering, before tentatively offering, “I have been cooking for Temari and Kankuro lately. Sometimes Uncle Yashamaru helps me, but mostly I just go off of mother’s old recipes.” He dropped into another bow. “If you would like to, you could join us one night for dinner. Kankuro seems to think I do well, at least.”

“...I will try,” Rasa told him, voice soft. “I will see if I can get away one evening.”

Gaara gave him another smile, feeling almost as if his face might shatter at the force of the happy expression, before taking off out of the office to head home.

One thing was for certain - whether Rasa followed through or not, Gaara was going to start making dinner for one more. Family was one thing he would not ever scorn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you cant tell sasuke has a big gay puppy crush on naruto i dont know what to tell you friend


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my boys. they love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the implied/referenced naruto/gaara starts here  
> if you didn't guess, that tag is because everyone watches them interact and is like "wow, gay"  
> which i mean. they aren't WRONG

Naruto didn’t return to the Uchiha compound after the dinner with Sasuke’s family, but Shisui and Itachi often stopped by his apartment, with the former forcing groceries on him and the latter giving him updates as to Sasuke’s increasingly ridiculous study schedule. The kid had apparently become more than diligent with homework, spending almost every free minute trying to teach himself some new trick or study some new theory. 

Naruto loved the visits, and more than that, he  _ loved  _ that Sasuke was not only considering him an equal, but aspiring to best him, as though Naruto were the standard to beat. Naruto, the Dead Last, the one that was always miles behind every other student in every subject, the one who took the graduation test yearly trying to graduate as soon as possible only to fail it each time in an increasingly spectacular fashion. 

Things really were going to be different this time, if Naruto was already being recognized at  _ six.  _

The only problem came with the fact that every time Naruto thought about becoming a shinobi, he remembered what his end goal was. To face the Akatsuki, and take them out, he wasn’t going to be able to play by the rules. There was a very good chance he’d have to leave the village. He really didn’t want to leave anyone behind if he did, but…

Having friends who would miss him, who would wait for him - that was a novelty he couldn’t easily pass up. It would also be a good motivation to stay alive, he hoped, if he got his butt kicked facing Obito. 

So, he didn’t bother trying to keep the Uchihas at a distance, even if he didn’t outright seek their company. 

In the meantime, he worked hard, spending every waking moment getting his skills up to their former level. His chakra system was underdeveloped, being only six years old, so he did as many endurance and control exercises as he could tolerate. He built up his strength, built up his speed, and - most importantly - he built up his relationship with Kurama.

The Kyuubi had been heavily irritated by the fact that Naruto claimed to be his friend, but knowing his name and his story were points in his favor, and the fox had reluctantly agreed to help him in exchange for not being locked into a statue and possibly getting the other half of his chakra back. 

The two had established a strange rapport, where Naruto would be entirely alone in his head up until something amused Kurama enough for the bijuu to throw out a sarcastic comment. 

When Naruto’s ‘seventh’ birthday rolled around, though, Kurama was weirdly active. 

Naruto woke up on October 10th to the fox calling out to him, and dove into his mind to meet him.

“Good, you’re finally awake,” Kurama drawled, as though he hadn't been yelling for the kid to do so. “I’ve officially been in here for seven years, so I’m holding you to that offer to get me out.”

Naruto grinned up at him. “I let you out before, even if you don’t remember it, y’know. I’m not worried about doing it again, I just want you to trust me more, first.”

Kurama gave a slow blink. “....Me, trust  _ you?  _ Shouldn’t that be the other way around?”

Naruto snorted. “Nah. I know what you’re like, I’ve been friends with you for years! But if  _ you _ don’t trust  _ me _ , you’re gonna be fighting me every second to do things your way. We gotta both trust each other, y’know?”

Kurama stared for a long moment, before letting out a harsh laugh and flopping back down to the floor of the mindspace sewer. “Get out and go to class, brat.”

Naruto threw him a thumbs up and dissolved out of the mental plane, and decided he’d go ahead and let Kurama get away with the tiny ‘ _ happy birthday’  _ he heard the bijuu mutter on his way out. 

  
  


Shisui was heavily considering a fistfight with the Hokage. 

He’d never really thought much about the Uzumaki kid, beyond that he was certain the boy was both Minato’s son and the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, if only because the timing of his appearance would be  _ heavily  _ suspicious otherwise. However, since meeting Naruto face-to-face, the boy was a point of constant worry for him. 

The kid was far too aware of his own misfortune, and far too forgiving of those who perpetuated it. He’d been entirely genuine in his worry for  _ Shisui  _ when they entered the Uchiha compound to glares. He hadn’t seemed to care that they were hating him or that being seen among Uchihas could make his isolation worse, just that Shisui and Itachi might feel the backlash of the visit.

Shisui also got the feeling that Naruto was purposely avoiding approaching them. Any time they visited him, it was their choice to seek him out - he carried on as though they’d never met, otherwise. The more the teen Anbu watched the kid, the more he realized he was like that for  _ everything.  _ Shisui saw him shopping under a henge and sitting alone in the schoolyard and generally avoiding any direct human interaction. 

It painted a disturbing picture: Naruto had been shunned for so long he seemed to believe he deserved it, and kept everyone at a distance to avoid dragging them down with him.

And he was  _ six. _

Well, not anymore - Shisui had been digging (and he’d admit, later, that he was perhaps being a bit nosy, but he was  _ worried,  _ dammit) and discovered the kid’s birthday, and that was what brought his anger to a peak. 

The kid was a genius and a prodigy, was kind and caring and charismatic, and was generally an ideal child - and he was having his birthday pass by without acknowledgement. 

Shisui made up his mind, and headed to Itachi’s - they needed to  _ act. _

  
  


Naruto sat alone in the yard by the school where the kids played and practiced, squinting at a scroll. 

It was lunch, so most of the kids had gone home to eat if they lived close or sat down with their friends to dig into their packed meals. Naruto, however, chose to kill the hour the way he’d been passing most of them: reading. The piece of ginseng root he was gnawing on gave the illusion he was eating, so no one would have anything to be suspicious of - if they even paid attention, which they likely would not. 

He was struggling to puzzle out a description of a jutsu - A-ranked, because Naruto was  _ awful  _ at Academy standard and Suzume no longer argued when he pushed past them - when a shadow blocked the light on his pages.

_ Oh no,  _ he couldn’t help but think, darting his eyes up nervously to see who had approached him.

His eyes landed on his intruder, and blinked, because  _ that  _ wasn’t what he’d expected.

“Shisui says it’s your birthday,” Sasuke told him, before holding out a box. “My mom made this for you.”

Naruto slowly processed that, before tentatively accepting the box. He pulled off the lid and gazed into it eagerly, choking as his heart hit his throat. 

Mikoto had made him a neat little bento, complete with an onigiri sun smiling up at him with a happy face of fine-cut nori seaweed. 

The tiniest compartment of the box contained several pieces of various colored tomatoes, with seasoning and oil on them. When he looked up, Sasuke was determinedly not looking at him, staring off at the trees behind him with a pink flush to his cheeks.

The rainbow salad was Sasuke’s addition, then. Naruto was flattered to have been gifted with the boy’s favorite food.

To prove the point, he grabbed the chopsticks laid across the box top and picked out a plain red tomato, popping it in his mouth.

“Oh wow,” he breathed, looking down at it. “I didn’t know tomatoes could taste like that.” 

“Tomatoes all taste different,” Sasuke informed him immediately. “The green ones are weird but you can cook them and then they’re like a whole new food. And some are really tiny, like grapes, and you can eat them whole, but-...” He stopped mid-sentence, snapping his mouth shut and turning furiously red, as though he’d realized he’d been talking a lot. 

Naruto didn’t mind at all, though - he  _ loved  _ talking, and listening, and Sasuke had always been quiet around him. “But?”

Sasuke blinked, seemingly shocked, before tentatively continuing. “...They’re weird, too, because you eat the skin and everything, which makes them feel different in your mouth than a big tomato.”

“You can’t eat the skin on a big tomato?” Naruto asked, confused. 

“You can!” Sasuke told him. “It’s just nasty, ‘cause big tomatoes get put in gross boxes full of dirt all the time and you have to get that off, and you can’t wash a tomato with  _ soap  _ if you wanna eat it, and water isn’t enough to make stuff clean. Well, that’s what my mom said.”

Naruto grinned. “She probably meant  _ person  _ skin, but I see the point.” Somewhat nervously, Naruto shifted over, making room in the shade of the tree he’d camped out under. “Do you wanna sit with me?”

Sasuke shifted, and Naruto instantly felt bad for pressuring him to put up with a social outcast - except Sasuke’s eyes darted down to the scroll Naruto had sat aside, and the jinchuuriki realized he was worried he’d be a distraction.

“If I read anymore, I’m gonna go cross-eyed,” Naruto informed him. “I need a break.”

Sasuke sat next to him immediately, almost eagerly, and started on his own lunch without further comment.

Naruto smiled softly to himself, and started in on his bento properly. 

Sasuke at six wasn’t so bad. 

  
  


Once the boys had established their own respective routine, neither Naruto or Gaara really had anything to do but wait. As such, their first year back in their childhoods passed mostly without fanfare, leading them up to the next stage of their plans: their ‘first’ meeting, at the chunin exams in Konoha. 

Gaara’s father had stuck to his promise - including showing up to family dinners once a week since his first tentative invitation - and as the walls of Konoha rose up before him, Gaara was practically biting down on his own cheeks to keep from smiling. He hadn’t seen Naruto in far too long: at the height of Kaguya’s invasion, the two (former, at the time) jinchuuriki had been more or less inseparable, the only two capable of keeping up with each other enough to be an effective team. 

(To be fair, that was mostly  _ Naruto.  _ Gaara maintained that he had been little more than a guard on the leader of their resistance.)

Temari and Kankuro had ended up accompanying them, and so the escort of the Kazekage was rather large, making up for the fact that the only member of the immediate family left in Suna was Yashamaru. 

Gaara was a little bit disappointed Naruto wouldn’t get to meet his uncle, but they’d have time, he was sure. Currently, his only concern was getting to his friend. 

“Gaara,” his father warned suddenly, in a low voice. He looked up to see Rasa watching him seriously. “I will not be able to stay with you the entire time we are here, as I will have meetings with the Hokage and other guests. Please keep your brother and sister with you at all times, so that I can be certain you are all safe.”

Gaara gave a sharp, single nod, and watched Rasa’s shoulders relax an almost invisible fraction.

After a full year, it was still a shock to see signs his family  _ cared _ . 

“Ah, Kazekage-sama,” a voice called from the gates, and Gaara looked up to see an unfamiliar pair of shinobi serving as guards. “You’re here for the exams, then? I’ll let the Hokage know.” 

The speaking ninja took off, leaving the other one to let them in. 

The familiar sight of Konoha’s architecture and citizens filled Gaara with warmth, reminding him once again that they were in a time of peace, long before the chaos that threatened them could swallow their joy. 

Pedestrians, civilian and shinobi alike, tried to subtly watch the procession into the village, with varying degrees of success. 

No one seemed too bothered by the sight of him, so he assumed no one knew he was a jinchuuriki. 

_ Typical humans,  _ Shukaku drawled in the back of his mind.  _ Claiming to want beasts to keep the power balance and then never letting anyone learn who actually has one. If you went rogue today, Suna would have no way of letting the other villages know what they were up against without revealing that they had no bijuu. It’s probably one of the worst thought-out plans I’ve ever seen, and I’m older than the sand in your gourd.  _

Gaara twitched slightly, lips quirking upward a bit in amusement. Shukaku had become something of a sarcastic narrator to his life, often speaking up at random in response to a stray thought or feeling from Gaara. Shukaku still had limited sight outside of Gaara’s body, but he had long since figured out a way to actively transmit information to his bijuu, allowing the Ichibi to piggyback on his perception of things. 

Which, of course, led to even  _ more  _ sarcasm, because Shukaku loved to tell him how weirdly he reacted to things. Like the time a few months back when he saw Temari get her first kiss and proceeded to walk right past her without so much as blinking, and been treated to yelling from both his sister and the Ichibi. 

(Apparently, breaking into a ten year old girl’s room to steal eyeliner was frowned upon - not, of course, that Temari had room to talk, because he knew for a fact that she was why  _ his  _ was missing. Also, she was  _ ten,  _ and he had a right to throw her door open when there was an unidentified person in it.)

Another one of such instances was now, because just as Gaara was about to turn to his siblings and ask where they’d like to go, he caught a glimpse of an orange blur that set his heart racing.

_ I hope this brat is as cool as you seem to think he is,  _ Shukaku said.  _ I’d hate to think my jinchuuriki is getting all in knots over some loser. _

_ Even if you hate him, keep it to yourself,  _ Gaara replied easily.  _ I don’t care what you think, he is my best friend.  _

_ Be glad you look six,  _ Shukaku shot back.  _ Otherwise people would think you’re in love with him.  _

Gaara tried really hard not to roll his eyes - he didn’t need anyone catching on to the fact that he was casually chatting with the one-tail. 

Temari shrieked suddenly, and Gaara spun around. He could see all the Anbu guards shift to battle-stances, but he wasn’t worried. He knew  _ exactly  _ what was going on.

In front of Temari and Kankuro, staring up with a scrunched up expression, was the person behind Gaara’s return to the past, and the boy he’d been searching for since they first stepped through the gate: Naruto Uzumaki.

“You’re not genin,” Naruto informed them, as though he were trying to puzzle out their reasons for being there. 

“Nah,” Kankuro answered, while Temari appeared to try and get her breathing under control (and, knowing her, restrain her desire to throttle the seven year old boy in front of her). “We’re just here to hang out.”

“You can do that?”

“Our dad’s the Kazekage,” Kankuro explained. “So, yeah, basically. It was Gaara’s idea.”

Naruto turned to look at him, and Gaara admired his ability to keep a straight face. Only he would likely see the relief and joy shining bright in the other’s eyes, and know that he was just as happy to see Gaara as Gaara was to see him. 

“Wow,” Naruto said. “Your hair is  _ really  _ red.” 

For a second, Gaara faltered - did Naruto actually not remember him? But then he realized that Naruto was, as far as anyone knew, a normal six year old, and comments like that would be dismissed easily.

Naruto was a lot better at this than Gaara was, it seemed. 

“Hey, if you guys are siblings, why do you have three different hair colors?”

Gaara watched and Kankuro and Temari blinked, then looked at each other, as if the thought was just occurring to them.

“Our grandparents had varied haircolors,” he explained, grateful that he had never been particularly expressive, since it gave him a buffer to hide his joy under. “My uncle has hair like Temari’s, and my father and Kankuro have around the same color.”

“What about you?” Naruto asked. “Red like that isn’t coming from nowhere.”

“I am an abomination,” Gaara answered, dryly. 

Temari and Kankuro both made noises of protest, likely raring up to defend him, but Naruto just gave a grin that was all foxline cunning, and told him, “Me, too.”

  
  
  


Temari wasn’t sure about this kid - first he’d popped up out of nowhere, then he’d made a cryptic comment to Gaara’s joke (and oh, she  _ hoped  _ it was a joke), and then he’d introduced himself as Naruto Uzumaki and dragged them all off to join him for ramen. 

The main thing that made her worried is that Gaara didn’t seem to mind the kid at all, even if she was personally annoyed by him. Quite the opposite: Gaara seemed  _ enamored.  _ Every time the blonde looked at him, he perked up a little bit, his face doing that weird thing it does when he’s trying not to smile. 

Suddenly, it occurred to her that Gaara was seven, and that was probably old enough for a first crush. 

...She really hoped that wasn’t the case. Trying to picture her sweet but stoic brother trailing after an obnoxious brat like Uzumaki made her eye twitch. 

She looked down the ramen stand counter, watching as her brother and Naruto conversed quietly with each other, Gaara’s eyes saucer-wide and bright. 

Ah, shit.

  
  


Gaara hadn’t realized how much he really missed Naruto until they were face to face. Sure, he’d known he wanted to see his friend again, but with the other jinchuuriki right in front of him, he felt whole for the first time in a year. 

Naruto spoke to him quietly, talking about random things and speaking without revealing anything - making sure his siblings weren’t suspicious. One day, he’d figure out why Naruto was so good at that.

Maybe sooner than he thought, because the second his bowl was empty, Naruto leaned in close to him. “Can your siblings body flicker? Or track chakra?”

“Kankuro is good with chakra tracking and Temari can body flicker,” Gaara answered, keeping his voice barely above a whisper. “But we are better at hiding than they are at seeking.” 

Naruto grinned, and jerked his head off, before flickering away.

Before Temari and Kankuro could react, Gaara was gone with him. 

  
  


Temari stared in horror at the empty seats next to her at the ramen stand.

Dad was going to  _ kill  _ her.

  
  


Naruto lead Gaara to a small patch of forest just outside the village, the same place he once hid to read the Scroll of Sealing. The second they were both on solid ground, he flung forward, dragging his friend into a tight hug, even going so far as to lift him off the ground. 

“Naruto!” Gaara cried, kicking his legs to try and get dropped back down. “Don’t pick me up! Put me down!”

“Sorry, Gaara!” Naruto replied, setting him down obligingly. “You’re just so cute and tiny like this, y’know? And you’re not even in that ugly coat!”

“I’m  _ seven,”  _ Gaara defended, and then paused, eye twitching. “And what do you mean, ugly?!”

Naruto didn’t answer, just laughed, and it turned into an impromptu game of tag as the blond ducked Gaara’s lunge at him and took off through the trees. 

Even running after Naruto, yelling out to demand apologies for the honor of his wardrobe (especially from a kid that regularly wears  _ orange jumpsuits),  _ Gaara couldn’t fight a smile any longer. 

He had been searching for two lifetimes, but this -  _ this  _ was home. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was 100% self indulgent and the next chapter will resume Plot


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> plot: shows up 5 chapters late with angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of you guys wanted to see jealous Sasuke and while sadly he doesn't witness the ultimate bromance in person, you can BET it'll be fun later.   
> Also, Sakura. My lovely daughter joins us at last.

While there was no way of confirming  _ exactly  _ who of the ensemble from Suna was a jinchuuriki, Konoha had been informed that the Ichibi’s vessel was present: a safeguard, and a warning, asking them to please not startle or antagonize visitors, since up until about a year ago Suna was being regularly rampaged by the monster. 

Thus, a heavy Anbu guard was placed on both the Sunagakure shinobi in the village and, for their own peace of mind, Naruto. 

So when a seven year old with  _ way  _ too much chakra suddenly vanished alongside their own resident chakra tank, Kakashi was on red alert. 

He turned to the leopard mask of the Anbu beside him, whose mask reflected the unmatchable movement speed of its wearer. “He just body flickered,” Kakashi told him, not bothering with names - they all knew who they were watching, and this particular agent watched him closer than most. “Take Bisuke, and find him.  _ Immediately.”  _

There was not a moment wasted on an acknowledgement - Shisui simply flicked away in a flurry of leaves. 

  
  


Shisui stared blankly at the clearing he’d found the boys in, trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing. 

“Bisuke...tell Kakashi I found them.”

The dog took off, and Shisui eyed the field as Naruto Uzumaki, and - if he wasn’t mistaken -  _ Gaara of Sunagakure  _ laid out on their backs, looking exhausted. 

“Ah, man,” Naruto sighed out, squirming in the grass. “I haven’t had to run in  _ ages.  _ That was fun.”

“You wouldn’t have had to run, if you hadn’t been  _ rude, _ ” Gaara replied, and Shisui’s spine crawled a little at the flat monotone. 

Naruto sat up, then, sticking his tongue out at the red-haired boy on the ground, who followed him up almost instantly. “Your sister is gonna  _ kill us,  _ y’know _.  _ She looked so  _ mad _ when we took off.”

“Temari had above-average grades in her classes, but is still within the range of Academy student skill,” the other boy said, his tone still flat and sounding eerily like an analysis of an enemy. “You and I, as both trained shinobi and jinchuuriki, could handle her easily. Practically speaking.”

Shisui’s blood ran cold.

_ ‘As both trained shinobi and jinchuuriki.’  _ That one statement implied a whole lot of bad things - both these children  _ knew  _ what they held inside, and had trained with it, and they each knew the  _ other  _ was  _ also  _ a container. How they knew that, or each other, he had no idea, but this…

This was  _ bad.  _

“Yeah, right,” Naruto said, shoving the other boy’s shoulder. “Like you wouldn’t take off the second she twitched.”

Gaara sniffed, almost offended - the only real emotional response Shisui had seen so far. “Temari could not beat me in a fair fight, that is true, but my sister is hardly one to play fair. Retreat is an advisable action.” 

Shisui shifted back, prepared to flicker back to Kakashi and tell him what was happening - the bantering boys in front of him likely weren’t going anywhere - but then the redhead looked up, eyes locking onto the bush where he was hidden.

Shisui’s heart  _ lurched.  _

“Shukaku,” the boy muttered, and before the hidden Uchiha could  _ blink  _ there was sand around his ankle, drawing him straight  _ through  _ the undergrowth and into the clearing, in front of both children. 

Holy  _ shit,  _ he was going to  _ die  _ because of a  _ seven year old.  _

“Anbu?” Naruto said, and Shisui’s heart broke for the kid, because he sounded so  _ resigned.  _ Like it was inevitable that he’d have someone on his trail, and their death was just something that had to happen. “Are you my guard, or Gaara’s?”

Shisui carefully didn’t speak. There was no way Naruto  _ wouldn’t _ recognize his voice, and he wouldn’t do that to the kid. He wouldn’t damage his heart any more than the world already had. 

“...I know you,” Naruto said after a second, and Shisui looked to him, watching as his eyes widened in realization. “You’re not talking because I  _ know  _ you. Who are you?” He leaned closer, eyes narrowing. “Ugh, I’m too bad with people for this! You have two eyes, so you’re not Kakashi…”

Shisui shifted. “You know Kakashi?”

“ _ Shisui?”  _ Naruto exclaimed, staring at him. “You’re Anbu? ..Oh,  _ oh,  _ that makes  _ so much more sense.  _ No wonder you and Itachi are so close.”

“It also explains Danzo’s interest,” the Suna kid said, quietly, and Shisui couldn’t take it anymore. He reached up, pulling his mask off to look both kids dead in the face. 

“What the  _ absolute shit  _ is going on?” he demanded. “Naruto, we were watching the Suna visitors because we were told one was a jinchuuriki, and we needed to be safe. I didn’t expect to find you in the middle of a  _ war council.  _ Why are two seven-year-olds sitting in the woods, talking about people and things they  _ shouldn’t even know?”  _

Naruto stared at him for a second, and then let out a long, dramatic sigh. “I was doing  _ really  _ good at not being obvious about it, too,” he whined.

That clicked in Shisui’s head. “You’re not Naruto,” he said, slowly. “Who are you? Where  _ is  _ Naruto?”

“I am Naruto!” this sudden stranger insisted. “Just...not  _ your  _ Naruto. And that’s technically not Suna’s Gaara, but it is, but-...” He groaned. “Gaara, help.”

Gaara turned that weird, flat, absent stare his way. “At age nineteen, Naruto and I attempted an unprecedented space-time transfer jutsu. It succeeded. We have been in our younger bodies for a full year now.”

Shisui stared, and then blinked. And then  _ kept staring,  _ for a good few minutes.

“...Shisui?” Naruto prompted, looking worried.

“Okay, I’m going to need you to start at the beginning, here,” Shisui said, slowly. “And be a  _ lot  _ more detailed.”

  
  


“...Let me see if I caught all of this,” Shisui said. “Twelve years from now, give or take, an organization will try and take the bijuu out of their jinchuuriki, and if they succeed, they will raise a  _ goddess  _ who will try and take over the world...with the moon.”

“Pretty much,” Naruto said. “See, cause the moon-...”

Shisui held up his hands. “I..really don’t want any details, here.” He looked to Naruto. “So. This goddess…”

“Kaguya,” Gaara informed him.

“Right. Kaguya destroyed the world, and so you came back to stop it?”

“To try, at least,” Naruto said, and Shisui was taken aback by how  _ serious  _ the kid sounded.

Well, not  _ kid,  _ he supposed - this child was apparently older than him by a couple of years. 

...Weird.

“Why now?” Shisui asked. “Why  _ this?  _ What’s going to happen this soon?”

Naruto shook his head. “A  _ lot  _ happens this soon. The Akatsuki are looking for the first jinchuuriki now, and they can get a couple if we don’t move soon. Kiri is under their control, because their leader has control over their Kage. And, uh…” He shifted, before looking to Shisui. “I know Danzo’s name because he is manipulating Konoha. He was the one to keep the Uchiha away from the battlefield during the Kyuubi attack, and he’s been quietly making the resentment toward your family worse by spreading rumors and lies and-...He’s just awful, okay? Sometime this year, if I got the time right, the Uchiha are going to come to you, and they’re going to want to stage a coup.” 

Shisui caught his breath. “They...already did.”

Naruto grimaced. “Then it’s a good thing we’re already working on it, huh? Anyways, when it happened before, you didn’t want it to. You were going to use your Sharingan to make Fugaku give up on the coup.” He shifted. “Danzo was mad, and he stopped you before you could, and took your eye. He was going to get the other one, but you took off - and went right to Itachi.”

Shisui didn’t like where this was going.

“You told Itachi what was going on, and gave him your other eye,” Naruto told him. “You left a suicide note saying you just couldn’t go through with the coup, so no one would be suspicious, and claimed you threw yourself off a cliff so no one would look for your body or eyes.” 

Shisui lowered his eyes to the ground, shaking slightly. It sounded insane...but it made sense. He could see himself doing that, step for step. Could see his own type of logical reasoning behind it. Could see his compassion winning out against better judgement, and leading him to burden Itachi with his information. “What…” He took a deep breath. “What did Itachi do?”

“Itachi was accused of killing you and covering it up, so he threw himself into Anbu and stopped talking to most of the clan.” Naruto ignored Shisui’s sharp gasp, pressing forward. “When Sasuke was eight, so next year now, Danzo told Itachi he had a choice: go through with the coup, and every single Uchiha would die - or kill them all, and save Sasuke.”

Shisui choked on a sob. He knew Itachi - he knew that was no choice at all.

“A man outside the village, claiming to be Madara Uchiha, offered to help him with wiping out the Uchiha. He said if Itachi didn’t let him help, he’d simply destroy the  _ whole  _ village instead.” 

“Itachi…” Shisui cried. “He’s too good for this. He shouldn’t have had to make that choice.”

“He shouldn’t, but he did,” Gaara interrupted, taking over the story. “From what I gathered secondhand, Itachi and the Madara impersonator - we called him Tobi, but his identity is a secret we need to keep for now - killed the whole clan. Itachi’s family was last.”

Shisui’s eyes slid shut, which did nothing to stop the tears escaping them. “Itachi killed them,” he extrapolated. “He didn’t let anyone else take the burden from him. He did it himself.”

“Yeah,” Naruto confirmed, softly. “He told his parents what was happening, and they didn’t resist it. They let him kill them. And then Itachi waited.”

Shisui snapped his eyes back open, staring at Naruto in horror. “No.”

“He waited for Sasuke,” Naruto said, voice as strained as Shisui felt. “And he told Sasuke that he’d killed them all, every last one, as a test of power.”

Shisui slammed a hand over his mouth to muffle his own anguished cry, trying to hold back a breakdown long enough to hear the rest.

“He set Sasuke up to be the one to kill him,” Naruto said. “He forced Sasuke on a road to vengeance, thinking his brother was the right person to punish him for what he did. And Sasuke didn’t let him down.”

Naruto put a hand on his shoulder, gently, and Shisui realized that was all he was going to be given. Just the knowledge of what had happened, of what they needed to stop. 

Shisui hunched forward, forehead pressing against a very small shoulder, and sobbed. Anbu rarely had occasion to cry, but this was not an Anbu situation. This was a family matter, and Shisui  _ ached.  _

  
  
  


Sasuke frowned up at Itachi, eyebrows knitting together. “Why  _ not?”  _

“My training courses are dangerous,” Itachi told him. “Until you awaken the Sharingan, you won’t be able to handle them safely.”

Sasuke huffed. “But who knows when I’ll get it? I might  _ never,  _ and then I won’t know anything because no one will teach it to me.”

Itachi rolled his eyes and flicked his forehead lightly. “You’ll be fine. If you don’t have it by the time you’re eight, I’ll do some catch-up training with you.”

“That’s not good enough!” Sasuke demanded. “I need to get better  _ now.”  _

Itachi stared at him, and then a small, knowing smile worked onto his face. “Did Naruto get promoted again?”

Sasuke pursed his lips, looking away. “Ino says her dad was complaining that he might end up being a jounin sensei in the next couple years, and that if Naruto kept going like he was he’d graduate at eight and then her  _ dad  _ might teach him.” He looked back to Itachi. “If Naruto graduates at eight, I need to do the same! I promised!”

Itachi laughed quietly, but pat the top of Sasuke’s head. “Fine, fine, I’ll work with you. But not  _ my  _ training courses. You’re getting your own.”

Sasuke beamed, clearly deeming that sufficient. “Thank you, big brother.”

Itachi nudged him. “Don’t thank me yet. You’re gonna work so hard you’ll  _ cry.” _

  
  
  


“Sasuke looked really upset earlier,” Ino said, swinging her legs off the bench her and Sakura shared. “I wonder what happened.”

“He’s mad about Naruto,” Sakura said, with a sniff. “You and Sasuke are the best students in the class, even after Naruto started doing good, but he got promoted and you two didn’t. Sasuke’s been upset since.” 

“Why?” Ino asked, scrunching up her nose. “He’s not in our class anymore, so we don’t have to deal with his pranks and stuff, and we can graduate whenever we can pass the test if we want.” She tossed her hair, blowing a loose strand out of her face. “Not that  _ I  _ can, ‘cause I’m supposed to be on a team with stupid Shikamaru and Choji, so we all have to graduate together.”

“Shikamaru could graduate early,” Sakura suggest. “He’s really smart. And Choji could learn fast.”

“But they  _ won’t,”  _ Ino griped. “They’re too lazy!  _ Especially _ Shikamaru. The other day he didn’t eat lunch because he forgot it and wouldn’t go back to get it. He noticed it was missing  _ at the classroom door.  _ He just didn’t want to walk back to his desk.”

Sakura laughed, because that sounded  _ exactly _ like Shikamaru. 

Ino laughed with her for a moment, before quieting, and nudging her to do the same. Sakura turned to her, confused, just as her friend nodded off toward the distance. 

Sakura followed the gesture, and saw Naruto, walking with an older boy who was definitely an Uchiha and another kid their age with  _ deep  _ red hair and a serious look on his face. 

Actually, they  _ all  _ looked serious, which was weird, because she didn’t think she’d ever seen Naruto not smiling. 

“Where are they going?” she asked, and suddenly Ino was grinning at her.

“Let’s find out,” she suggested, and the girls were off.

  
  
  


“We have a tail,” Shisui murmured, lightly, to Naruto, just as the Uchiha district came into view. “A very  _ small  _ tail.”

“Eh,” Naruto waved him off. “It’s Sakura, I think - her chakra as a kid is  _ really  _ thin, so it’s hard to tell for sure. Which means the other one is probably Ino.” 

Shisui blinked, because he was considered a genius even for a jounin and Anbu, and he’d only felt  _ one  _ chakra signature. 

Naruto caught his stare and grinned, tapping his cheek - or, more accurately, a whisker. “Kurama’s got a bad habit of sticking his fox nose into the air any time someone’s in a mile of me, so I usually know about it.” 

“Sounds helpful,” Shisui said.

“Ah, don’t say that!” Naruto made frantic ‘cut it out’ hand gestures. “When you call him out on being nice, he gets mean again! You have to let him get away with it! He’s shy!” 

Naruto then instantly winced, and reached up to rub at his temples like he had a headache - probably arguing with the Kyuubi, then. It was strange to see, especially knowing now how many layers there were to the child in front of him. 

“Do you want to do anything with them?” Shisui asked. 

Naruto shook his head. “Nah. Everyone probably thinks I kidnapped Gaara and you had to come get me and yell at me.”

“Very true,” Shisui agreed. 

“And not entirely wrong,” Gaara added. “Though he did more crying than yelling.”

Shisui twitched. “You  _ brat.”  _

“I’m older than you.”

Shisui looked up the sky, wondering what he’d done to deserve this. 

“Don’t kill each other,” Naruto told them. “I’m gonna give Sakura and Ino something to gossip about.”

Before Shisui could ask, Naruto clapped his hands together in a hand sign, and popped up roughly a dozen perfect shadow clones.

Shisui let out a whistle. That...was impressive.

Naruto turned to his clones, throwing them a thumbs up. “Let’s cause some trouble.” 

The clones all returned the thumbs up and then took off in different directions. 

“You’re going to have Anbu trailing you for weeks,” Shisui informed him.

Naruto shrugged. “They already follow me, I may as well do something for them to talk about. I’m pretty sure the next person who has to watch me make instant ramen in the middle of the night is gonna torch my apartment.”

Gaara snorted. “Kurama has a fire affinity,” he said. “The chances of a burning house bothering you in any way is slim.”

“Who says Kurama isn’t the one setting the fire?” Naruto teased. “He has to watch me all the time, too, y’know.” 

Gaara reached out and pushed his shoulder, sending Naruto stumbling sideways. “He’d die with you, if he set you on fire. He’d need to break your seal first.”

Naruto launched back at him, giving a reply that was lost in the sound of them both hitting the ground and beginning a wrestling match. 

Shisui sighed heavily, and looked ahead to the Uchiha complex.

They were only a few feet from the gate, but he had a feeling it would take him a long while to get there. 

  
  
  


Sakura and Ino did end up spreading the fact that they’d seen Naruto create multiple shadow clones at once around, which everyone took as a long awaited explanation as to why most of the city reported him pranking them at the same time. 

Sarutobi looked at the reports of damages and complaints about the child he treated as a grandchild and thought,  _ this child is without a doubt the child of Kushina Uzumaki. _

  
  


Sakura had taken something extra from watching Naruto effortlessly surpass every expectation of him.

What she had taken away was a deep, deep pull, screaming at her  _ I want to be like that. _

She was asking her mother to help her train more the very same afternoon.

 

The time came when the chunin exams were over and it was time for the Suna delegations to depart, and Naruto made sure to see them off.

Gaara’s family looked on with baffled wonder as this kid who Gaara had been trailing behind for a week gave him a massive hug, squeezing him tight, and made him promise to write letters.

They almost fell out when Gaara’s response was a soft, kind, “Of course.”

  
  


Shisui pulled Itachi aside as soon as he had the chance, and confided that he thought the Uchiha coup would only end poorly. Together, they began to plan how to stop it, and Shisui hoped that if nothing else, it would buy them time.

_ Just a year,  _ he thought.  _ Give me a year, and then Naruto will be able to help. _

  
  


The universe, or whatever force controlled it, listened.

They gave Shisui a year - but that was all he would get. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the next chapter is another time skip, forward one more year, and thats when the Actual Plot begins in full swing


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the babes,,,they are Nin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all thought I was gonna kill Shisui this chapter but jokes on you shit's gonna get much worse   
> Also [here's a doodle of costume changes for the young kiddos](https://68.media.tumblr.com/287745ab1ec790228f1cbf485f8301ae/tumblr_ovlxl9ptkb1w4ucqeo1_1280.jpg) and I'll add new doods for the older versions' costumes later

Iruka stared down at the children in front of him. “You  _ both  _ want to take the graduation test? You’re four years early.”

Sasuke nodded immediately, which didn’t surprise Iruka at all - the kid had been single-minded in his determination to catch up to Naruto - but the girl next to him was a surprise.

“I don’t want to be left behind,” Sakura told him. “Sasuke is really good at fighting and Naruto is good with jutsu, but they’re both bad at control and they don’t think ahead. If a kid is gonna graduate early from the Academy, it should be one who doesn’t have anything else to learn, not one who will  _ never  _ read a book again if they can help it!”

Sasuke scowled, but kept his eyes fixed ahead, which was remarkable restraint on his part. Iruka knew that Sasuke took people talking down to his intelligence or skills was a major pressure point for him, constantly watching his brother and Naruto gain traction as locally famous shinobi while he was left behind to learn the Academy basics. 

Iruka sighed, and rubbed his forehead, wondering how exactly to go about denying these kids the chance.

“Ah, Iruka-sensei,” a mild voice came from the doorway. “Good, you’re here - I wanted to ask you if you’d seen Naruto.” 

Iruka looked to see Tenzo step inside, face locked utterly still in a disturbing smile. “I haven’t, not today. He’s probably bothering Suzume about the exam. Why?”

Tenzo’s non-smile turned the faintest bit sharper. “Oh, nothing important. I just need to retrieve some of my gear from him that I believe he nicked during my watch last night.” He looked down, then, smiling much more normally at Sasuke. “I saw your brother earlier, with Shisui, but neither of them had seen Naruto either. At least, I’m certain they were being truthful when they  _ said  _ they hadn’t, because if they were hiding him from me  _ again  _ I would be very upset. Three times is four too many, yes?” 

The teen Anbu body flickered away without awaiting a response, and Iruka shivered. He was infinitely grateful Naruto had a new class, sometimes: there were always powerful shinobi dropping by, looking for blood. 

A second later, a blur flickered back in, revealing a haggard-looking Shisui. “Sasuke,” the teen breathed out. “Hide me.”

Sasuke gave him a flat stare. “You should have given him Naruto.”

Shisui tipped his head, then, looking confused. “Given  _ who  _ Naruto? He’s who I’m  _ running from.”  _

There was a distant cry of  _ ‘Kage bushin!’  _ and Shisui swallowed, given them a terrified stare before flickering out again. 

Iruka counted to himself. One, two…

Three.

Tenzo’s form launched past his door, followed closely by a flash of orange and, at a more relaxed pace, a long-suffering Itachi.

The last paused in the doorway, leaning in for a moment. “Iruka-sensei. You realize they will stop visiting once their ‘base’ has graduated, yes?”

Iruka blinked, and then slowly lowered his gaze to Sasuke. Around a year ago, the Uchiha had realized that Naruto was easily distracted by the other child, and declared him ‘Base’ - a safe spot to hide from their tormentor without fear of retaliation. 

Sasuke more or less tolerated it, if only so he could take every opportunity to challenge Naruto to some competition or another. 

Iruka looked up to his ceiling, eyeing the scorch marks going across it from Naruto’s last attempt to smoke out Shisui from his hiding spot under Sasuke’s table, and then back to the kids in front of him.

Was it professional to let a child graduate just to avoid dealing with the damages?

Could he ethically let one test and not another?

Iruka sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “Go to Suzume’s room on Friday,” he told them. “She’s hosting the test.” 

The kids celebrated, Sakura doing so with a happy shout and Sasuke doing so by allowing the tiniest of smiles before he launched out to follow his brother, likely hunting down Naruto to share the news. 

Iruka let out a long, tired breath. If all three of those graduated, they’d probably be on a team together, and he felt so terribly bad for their future sensei. 

Outside, in the training fields, a tree fell, and Iruka heard the crack and crash as it slammed into the ground.

Iruka’s eyes dropped shut, the veins in his forehead throbbing lightly. 

If nothing else, maybe letting those three graduate would save him from all the damned  _ headaches. _

  
  


Suzume stared at the new addition to the end of her line-up, twitching. “You two are not in this class.”

“Iruka-sensei gave us permission to take the test,” the girl - Sakura, if she remembered correctly from her kunoichi classes - told her. 

“I see,” she drawled. “And I suppose it is a complete coincidence that I now have  _ three  _ eight year olds trying to graduate at once?”

Neither child responded, other than Sakura’s smile and Sasuke’s blank stare. 

She was going to pummel Iruka into the ground.

“Neat-freak-sensei!” a happy voice called, and Suzume felt a vein burst in her forehead. “It’s test day! I’m- Oh, hey guys.”

Sasuke and Sakura turned dramatically different expressions - a glare from the former, and polite smile from the latter - to their new arrival, and Suzume’s resident pain in the ass, Naruto Uzumaki. 

“Stop calling me that,” she told her student. “And go to your desk. The written portion is first, and I am going to  _ include  _ handwriting points if you don’t stay quiet, so help me.”

Naruto gave her a thumbs up without comment, clearly taking the threat to heart - she’d made good on it before, after all, and Naruto couldn’t afford the massive point loss that would come if she graded his neatness. The boy seemed to take page margins and response boxes as challenges, and she’d never gotten a single test back without some sort of doodle. 

She let him trot off to his desk, and turned back to the other younger kids.

“I don’t have desks for you,” she said. 

“We could just sit anywhere, it’s fine,” Sakura offered.

Suzume twitched. “No, that’s  _ not-...”  _ she paused, taking a deep breath, and said a silent prayer for her temper. “Nevermind. The seating chart has to be reworked tomorrow for the graduates, anyway. Sit in any two empty desks.”

Sakura sat in an empty one up front, and Sasuke took the one a couple rows in - which just so happened to be the closest possible one to Naruto.

_ Boys,  _ honestly. This was why she preferred kunoichi classes.

“Okay, brats,” she said, picking up a stack of tests and starting to pass them out, face down on the desks. “When I tell you to begin, you can flip the test over and start. You’ll have an hour. After that will be the practical tests, so try not to use up all your energy.” She paused in front of Naruto, pointing at him. “There’s not supposed to be food or drink during the test, but Iruka bribed me with shochu to let you have those ginseng roots of yours.” She likely would have let him anyway - there was no sense in giving the kid more trouble than he already had - but it was nice to have a clear excuse for her behavior and, in the process, let Naruto know that his old teacher was still looking out for him. 

Naruto grinned at her, not a single tense feature in his face, and she knew he’d seen right through it. Oh, well. Worth a shot.

She headed back to the front of the room when all the tests were passed out, and called for them to begin, before leaning back in her desk chair and pulling out a book.

An hour was probably enough to get to the good part, right?

  
  
  


Naruto ground a bit of ginseng root between his back teeth, staring at a question on shinobi history until the words blurred.

The question was a simple little essay question, designed to show interest in the shinobi that came before oneself, that asked for the student to explain which shinobi they most heavily idolized. 

The problem was, Naruto didn’t really have an answer he was confident in, since every single one that came to mind immediately he was either not meant to know about or was someone that wasn’t famous yet. 

A thought hit him, then, and he put pen to paper, grinning as he filled out his answer. 

  
  
  


After Suzume called time, she handed the written tests off to Iruka for grading while proctoring the practical tests.

Which, of course, meant Iruka got to read three highly interesting answers. 

To the fourth test question,  _ Describe a shinobi you idolize, and why,  _ Sakura had put down that she idolized Sasuke Uchiha, who took everything as a challenge and struggled to get better despite how good he already was. Sasuke put Naruto - obviously, the fanboy - and cited his determination to succeed when surrounded by people who scorned him.

Naruto’s answer, however, he read multiple times.

_ I don’t have a single shinobi that I idolize above all others.  _ He’d written, which would have sounded arrogant, if he hadn’t continued.  _ I idolize all shinobi, for one thing or another. I think Shisui is really cool, because he’s always nice even when shinobi are thought to be heartless. Suzume-sensei is pretty scary even if she’s a huge germaphobe and gets sad easily. Iruka-sensei has always treated me fairly even though I know that’s not easy for anyone to do. Even old man Hokage is awesome in his own way, when he’s not being a total weirdo. I don’t want to  _ **_be_ ** _ any of them, though - I want to be Naruto Uzumaki, who learned from all those people and more how to be a good shinobi and a good person. _

Iruka was moved, and even the doodle to the side of very exaggerated angry-faced Iruka and Suzume couldn’t kill the affection swelling in him. 

He quietly marked down a bonus point to the question. That was an ideal answer if he’d ever seen one. 

  
  
  


At the end of the day, the written scores and practical scores were tallied and posted as a ranking, going from the top combined score - Rookie of the Year - down to the lowest (nicknamed ‘Dead Last,’ Naruto remembered vividly).

Imagine the surprise on the faces of each person who checked the scoreboard when they saw three eight year olds topping the list, leading by a good few points over fourth place.

  
  
  


“Kakashi, I’m glad you could make it,” Sarutobi said, in the even and polite tone he only ever used when he was letting Kakashi off the hook for something.

Ah. So he  _ had  _ noticed how late the Anbu was. At least the old man paid attention to the clock, he supposed.

“I have an assignment for you,” Sarutobi continued, and waved Kakashi forward. “First, I need you to give me your Anbu mask and gear.”

Kakashi blinked, taken aback. “...Pardon, Hokage-sama?”

“Don’t get respectful, that’s when I know you’re judging me,” Sarutobi said. “I’m returning you to regular jounin status.”

Kakashi was torn - on one hand, leaving behind the bloodshed and violent hyperfocus of Anbu was a blessing he never thought he’d get. On the other, without Anbu to focus on, he’d likely go just a touch insane. 

Especially if Sarutobi gave him something as wickedly boring as the gleeful look on the Hokage’s face implied. 

Kakashi didn’t hesitate further, though, because an order from the Hokage is still an order from the Hokage. He removed his gear from his belt and sat in on the desk, and watched Sarutobi pull it toward him and push out in its place three folders. 

Kakashi balked as he took in the color-coded labels that declared the folder genin-level personnel files. Two were thin enough to only contain like one or two papers, and a third was about a centimeter thick, but still thin considering it was also marked with a ‘highly confidential’ label.

Genin folders, all new, one of them restricted - he knew  _ exactly  _ what he was being asked.

“I’m not a sensei,” Kakashi said. “Ask anyone. I can’t teach.”

“I  _ did _ ask,” Sarutobi said. “Tenzo, Shisui, Itachi - every person you’ve ever had under your command has spoken highly of you as a leader and a guide. Tenzo especially claims he would be nowhere without your help, and Shisui said he would trust no one more with his favorite genin.”

Kakashi paled at the reminder of who Naruto had wrapped around his finger - if there was one protective older brother figure he didn’t want on his hide, it was Shisui of the Body Flicker. “They’re biased,” Kakashi said. “I’ve saved their lives before. Teaching the basics isn’t the same thing.” 

“Sure it is,” Sarutobi said. “The biggest thing you can teach them is how to get better together, and no one understands the importance of unity better than you.”

Kakashi looked away, wondering if the Hokage was referencing his father’s suicide or Rin’s. 

_ Friend-Killer Kakashi. Cold-Blooded Kakashi. Copy-Nin Kakashi. _

Loyalty to the dead was all he had, and it showed in everything he did. Of course the Hokage would call on him to be loyal to another memory.

He looked back to Sarutobi, and nodded, reaching out to accept the files.

He owed his late sensei that, at least. 

  
  
  


Kakashi  _ regretted.  _

Immediately after looking into the files, he knew he was going to have a terrible time.

He’d known Naruto graduated early, at only eight - the whole _village_ knew, for crying out loud. What he _didn’t_ know was that Itachi’s bratty younger brother and some girl with retired shinobi parents _also_ graduated early, and _they_ _were all on the same team._

Three eight-year-olds. One a hyperactive genius with a tendency to forget to take things seriously, one self-professed rival of said genius who fought tooth and nail to best him, and one…

Well. Haruno was a relative unknown, actually. He’d have to figure her out later. 

Carefully, he started on their files, reading all the material he had available to him.

Sakura Haruno had placed third in the graduation test rankings, with perfect scores on the written portions and practicals on chakra control but losing points in applied jutsu of all three types. Her score was on the highest peak that could be considered normal - nothing exceptional, but still a rank to be proud of. In a normal graduating class, it would have earned Rookie of the Year easily. 

Unfortunately, she had started off at a disadvantage. Naruto and Sasuke had been soaking up information on this test for two full years, preparing for this very scoreboard to post their names at the top.

Sasuke was probably fuming that he didn’t manage it.

He was a solid second, and Kakashi blinked when he noticed that the score was actually perfect. No marks lost in written or practical portions. He had an A+ to Sakura’s A, and Kakashi scanned for a note of a tie for first or a grading error, but found none.

Curious, he opened Naruto’s file, taking a brief moment to examine the endless sea of Anbu watch reports and background info and citizen complaints before looking to the boy’s score.

He reeled at what he saw.

Naruto’s grade had been hand-penned in, rather than stamped, because they didn’t have a stamp for the letter that sat in his box. It was a blocky red  _ S,  _ a score that existed but rarely ever got used, and had  _ never  _ been placed on a graduation exam, not even for geniuses like Itachi. 

He looked to the score breakdown, and saw what happened: Naruto had beaten the max score. His written test had bonus points on top of a perfect score, his practical tests had bonus points on top of a perfect score - the only thing that  _ didn’t  _ have bonus points was chakra control, and even that was at least typically perfect. 

He noticed a staple in the top of the paper, and lifted it up, seeing a copy of Naruto’s written test behind it, followed by pages of notes from the examiners from the practicals.

They all said the same thing. 

_ Genius,  _ they read.  _ Exceptionally skilled. Singularly driven. _

Kakashi was too good an Anbu not to read between the lines. Under layers of praise for a good student was a warning, as clear as if they’d written it outright.  _ Dangerous. Too much power. Too hard to control. _

Kakashi had the sickening feeling that while Sarutobi’s main motivation was likely to keep Naruto in safe hands, he was also likely given the kid’s team to quiet the whispers of malcontent. The villagers all though Kakashi to be ruthless and unforgiving - they would trust him to do what was needed if the jinchuuriki became a threat.

Kakashi’s eyes dropped closed as his heart sunk, stomach heavy with the knowledge that they likely weren’t even wrong.

If he had to choose between a child and his village, what would he choose?

He stood, turning to leave his apartment, headed down the familiar path to the memorial.

He had some names to visit. 

  
  
  


Naruto received his instructions to meet his jounin sensei at noon on one of the training grounds, and showed up about ten minutes late, not remembering until the last minute that he wasn’t in his original genin team and having to wait on Kakashi. 

He was questioning that thought, though, when he saw the other two members of his team waiting.

Distantly, he’d sort of written off the chance of getting the original Team 7 back. He knew Sasuke was going to try and be on his team, and he’d given it 60/40 odds of working out, but didn’t hold his breath on it. He was only graduating early because he was technically  _ fourteen years late,  _ after all. 

Seeing Sakura in the classroom that morning had been a surprise, but he’d assumed she was just there for Suzume and didn’t really pay much attention until she sat down. By the time he realized she was taking the test, he had his own test to worry about. 

So, while he’d passively acknowledged that there was a chance he’d be on a team with his friends, he hadn’t thought it would actually  _ happen.  _ He never had that kind of luck.

Which made seeing Sakura and Sasuke standing around the training field, four years early and free of their future grief, he was pretty sure he was dreaming.

Sasuke’s head whipped up when Naruto approached, and his eyes narrowed into slits, for once looking more suspicious than hostile. “You’re on our team?”

“I guess,” Naruto said. “That’s really cool, then, y’know? You kept your promise after all.”

Sasuke sniffed, face pinking slightly in the way he always did when Naruto called him out on his rivalry. “Don’t be so sure. I don’t think our sensei is coming.”

Naruto rolled his shoulders, looking around. “Eh. I was late, too, y’know. If we’re still waiting in an hour I’ll start thinking they forgot us.”

“An  _ hour?”  _ Sakura squeaked out. “I can’t just stand here for an  _ hour!”  _

Naruto grinned. “Hey, Sakura-chan. You’re on our team, too, but I don’t think I ever introduced myself to you.” He pat his chest, straightening up with a grin. “Naruto Uzumaki, soon-to-be Konoha ninja and  _ eventual  _ Hokage!” 

“Why is she  _ -chan?”  _ Sasuke muttered, beside him, which Naruto ignored. 

“I know who you are,” Sakura said, shifting and looking weirdly sheepish. Naruto was reminded then that this was Sakura before she found her courage, back when she was too focused on being either a girl or a ninja to realize she was a  _ kunoichi _ . 

On the bright side, he didn’t have to worry about her punching his lights out, yet.

_ Yet.  _

“You do?” Naruto said, tipping his head, before realizing that was a dumb question. “Oh, yeah, I guess you probably got the  _ talk _ , too, even if your parents are technically civilians now.”

“The talk?” Sakura questioned.

“Y’know,” he mimicked a nasal voice, continuing, “ _ Don’t play with the Uzumaki kid, he’s actually a vicious demon and will probably eat your hands.  _ Or something.” 

“I got that you were a stain upon the village and would bring dishonor on the clan,” Sasuke offered, helpfully. “Shisui is still mad about it.”

“Tell your cousin I love him,” Naruto replied without hesitation.

Sasuke growled. “I will  _ not.  _ And we’re not cousins. At least not close enough that it counts. Our last common ancestor is probably ten generations back.” 

Naruto waved a hand. “I’m the only Uzumaki around, man, bloodlines don’t make sense to me. You’re cousins.” He looked back to Sakura, who was looking between them with wide, confused eyes. “Oh, yeah, Sakura-chan. I know Sasuke ‘cause his cousin-...” he ignored Sasuke’s grumbling - “Is super nice, and is probably my favorite person right now, right up there with Iruka-sensei and old man Teuchi and Gaara.” 

“Shisui-san,” Sakura filled in. “I know. He comes to the civilian district a lot to buy things for you.”

Naruto rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, he does that. He gets uppity about me eating so much stuff out of a microwave, so he buys me  _ vegetables.  _ It’s gross.” He then realized what Sakura said, and straightened, eyeing her in surprise. “Wait, you talk to Shisui?”

“Yeah,” she said, and her face started to pink worse than Sasuke’s. “I, um. I saw you make shadow clones one day...a whole bunch of them, all at once. It was cool. I wanted to be that strong, so I started asking about you to see what you did.”

Naruto scratched at the back of his head, faintly recalling the afternoon with the clones, when Sakura was tailing him with Ino. Most of his memory of that day was eaten up by his reunion with Gaara and his revelation to Shisui, but he could almost remember a spike in Sakura’s chakra when his clones flittered out. Maybe she  _ had  _ been impressed. 

“I didn’t really do anything,” Naruto said. “I’m pretty crap at most stuff, actually, y’know. I got good grades in the academy stuff because I was doing something over the required level, but what no-one realized was I was doing that because I  _ can’t  _ do basic stuff. My control is awful. I can make ten shadow clones, easy, but one takes a lot of effort. I have a lot of chakra and not very good control over it.”

“Oh,” Sakura murmured, wilting a bit before perking back up. “I’m good at chakra control! It’s what I’m best at. I could help you, if you help me with jutsu...?”

Naruto grinned. “Sounds awesome, Sakura-chan! That’d help a lot. Though I’m not really sure how good a teacher I’d be, y’know.  _ I _ barely know what I’m doing half the time.”

Naruto felt a faint flicker of chakra, then, his senses too good from practice watching his Anbu guard the past two years to miss it, especially with how familiar it was.

Looks like he was getting his team back, after all!

  
  


“At least you can admit to it,” Kakashi drawled, dropping in behind Naruto on the training field, watching with slight satisfaction as Sakura stumbled back and Sasuke startled. 

Naruto, he noticed, didn’t seem surprised at all - instead, he simply turned around, pointing a finger up into Kakashi’s face. 

“You’re late,” he said. “I was late, and I was  _ still  _ here first.”

“How do you know I wasn’t in the bushes, waiting?” Kakashi asked. “Maybe you weren’t paying attention.” 

Naruto gave him a flat, unimpressed look. “You came from over there,” he said, pointing in the direction of the inner city. “There aren’t bushes there. You body flickered.”

“Ma, you got me,” Kakashi said, taking a moment to be privately impressed at being called out by an eight year old. Then again, he expected nothing less - Shisui had implied, once or twice, that Naruto knew he had a guard on him, and watched them constantly, making comments about Naruto being comforted by  _ familiar chakra  _ during shift rotations that fell to him. Naruto was probably well-versed in finding out who was around him, and where they came from. Kakashi wouldn’t be surprised if Naruto even recognized his specific chakra as a former Anbu guard of his. “But you just admitted you were late, too.”

“I’m not even technically a genin yet,” Naruto said. “I don’t have to be on time.”

...That, Kakashi supposed, was fair.

“Alright,” Kakashi said, clapping his hands together. “Let’s meet each other, shall we?”

“We already know each other,” Sasuke said. “We just don’t know you.”

Kakashi twitched. This group was going to be a pain, he could already tell. 

“Well, then,” Kakashi drawled out. “I’ll go first. Kakashi Hatake, jounin of Konoha, and your assigned sensei. I’ve never taken on a team before, so do yourselves a favor and make a good impression.” 

There was silence, for a moment, before Naruto popped up, chiming in, “I’m Naruto Uzumaki, and you probably already know that, because I think you were one of the jounin that were looking for me when I kidnapped Gaara.” 

Sakura looked to her blonde teammate with shock and faint horror, clearly not familiar with Naruto’s jinchuuriki-snatching story. Sasuke just looked peeved at the reminder that Naruto’s best friend was a strange stoic redhead from Suna. 

_ Kids _ . Hopeless, the lot of them.

“I was,” Kakashi confirmed. “Shisui saw you two go missing and asked for one of my summons to help track you down.” 

Not the technical truth, and there was a slight falseness to Naruto’s responding grin that told Kakashi’s trained eye that the kid knew it. 

He wondered what it meant, that this kid knew no one trusted him and knew people hated him and were  _ waiting  _ for him to fail, and he still fought that much harder to be good and kind and trustworthy. He was endlessly fascinated by the kid’s wide smiles, because they were so painfully forced sometimes, but Naruto seemed to have the opinion that he should never be seen without it.

No one watched Naruto, really. They tracked a jinchuuriki, they examined a student, they appraised a potential shinobi. No one spared more than a passing glance at the child himself, and Naruto always made sure that when they looked, they didn’t see anything but a happy and slightly ditsy child. 

Kakashi wondered at what the kid might be planning to do on the occasion someone looks just deep enough to see the lie. 

He abandoned the thoughts to look between the other two, waiting for one to offer their own introduction.

“I’m Sakura Haruno,” the girl spoke up, eventually. “My parents are retired shinobi, so we live in the civilian district, but I wanted to be a ninja even if they don’t anymore.” 

“Sasuke Uchiha,” the last child added almost before she was done speaking. “You know my brother, so I shouldn’t need to tell you that.”

Kakashi prayed to gods he didn’t believe in for some form of strength.

“Alright, then,” he said, picking at his collar. “We’ll meet back here at dawn tomorrow for your genin test. Don’t eat breakfast - if you do, you  _ will  _ throw up.”

Sasuke and Sakura both seemed to take that slightly roughly, the girl paling and the boy grinding his teeth, but Naruto just sighed and muttered  _ ‘But, ramen.’  _ Which, honestly, was the kind of response he was already started to expect. 

He had the feeling he could pull down his mask and stare the kid dead-on with his Sharingan eye and he’d probably make some entirely irrelevant comment and brush it off. 

He couldn’t  _ wait  _ to see the kid’s response to the bell test. He didn’t seem like the biggest team player, at first glance - not with his nonchalant attitude and casual dismissal of Kakashi. 

If nothing else, Kakashi owed it to his sensei to kick his son into shape. No child of Minato’s would grow up arrogant. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sasuke is gay and kakashi is tired

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter doesn't have any Gaara scenes either but tbf Naruto is the one with the plot right now  
> we'll catch up with our redheaded wonder eventually

Naruto wondered, the next morning, if getting Kakashi as a sensei again meant he didn’t have to be on time for the test. 

...Probably, right?   
He eyed his alarm clock, wondering if he should go ahead and set the alarm for before dawn or just leave it like normal and bank on Kakashi taking ages to show up.

Eh, screw it.

He left it.

  
  
  


Kakashi usually made a point to be at least an hour late to everything - people tended to be less guarded when they’d been made to wait a while, and it wasn’t like a genin test was massively important or time sensitive. 

After the day before, though, he was curious as to how good at reading chakra signatures Naruto actually was. So, he went to the training ground way before any of the kids would arrive, and hid himself down in the bushes, masking his chakra and settling in to read the remainder of the night away.

Sure enough, it was a good hour before he felt the first touch of chakra - Sasuke’s, alert and searching, no sign of weariness to it at all. As a child of a clan head and the younger brother of an elite jounin, Sasuke was probably unaffected by early mornings. 

About twenty minutes after Sasuke arrived, Sakura showed up, and Kakashi took a moment to wonder at that. He’d thought for certain that Naruto, the overconfident brat, would have been first, or a close second, but…

Thirty minutes went by. Forty. An hour.

Kakashi twitched as the sun began creeping over the horizon, marking that the time for their meeting was on them. The brat was  _ late.  _

Later than  _ Kakashi,  _ which was a rare occurrence and an  _ unforgivable sin.  _

He kept waiting, timing the boy on his watch. 

It was a quarter to eight when his chakra finally flickered in -  _ flickered,  _ because he hadn’t simply walked up, clearly the son of the Yellow Flash - and Kakashi was white-knuckled in his grip on his book at the annoyance.

“Ah, sorry guys!” Naruto called, stopping next to them without giving so much as a second glance to their startled stumbling. He seemed utterly oblivious to the fact that the eight year olds did not have a way to sense approaching body flickers, and therefore simply saw him appear out of thin air with no warning. “I didn’t set an alarm and slept  _ way _ too late! Man, I’m usually up with the sun! What happened? Maybe I finally got used to the daytime.” 

Kakashi wondered at that statement. Was Naruto implying the day was ever strange to him? He thought back to old patrols, and remembered that a couple years ago Naruto went through a phase where his Anbu patrols were reporting him staying awake nearly all hours of the day, and pacing or training during the night, cycling in and out of restlessness every few weeks. Maybe Naruto had adjusted to that routine more than the Hokage thought he would have, and thus had trouble sleeping in.

They wouldn’t know for sure, really - Naruto had at some point figured out chakra masking seals and decorated his apartment with them for hiding from his prank victims. Or, so he claimed - it was also possible he didn’t like the Anbu spying on him all the time, if Shisui was right and the kid  _ did  _ know about it. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Sasuke told his teammate. “Kakashi-sensei is still not here.”

“You two being late is looking like a pattern,” Sakura confirmed.

“Not here..?” Naruto murmured, sounding confused. Originally, Kakashi dismissed it as him being confused as to why their jounin sensei would be late - only to suck in a breath as he felt Naruto’s chakra spike and then dissipate, disrupting his own chakra and that of the area around him.

He was trying to break any genjutsu. Naruto knew he was hiding there.

Well. That answered the question of that, at least.

Kakashi unmasked his chakra and strolled out into the open, approaching the kids. “Yo,” he called, lazily. “I see you’re all here.”

The kids turned three unimpressed stares at him, and Kakashi wondered if he was going to have to get used to that look. 

Hopefully not. He didn’t really see any of the three as the type to get the meaning of the genin test. 

“Well then.” He pulled out his clock, setting the timer. “Let’s begin.”

  
  
  


Naruto listened as Kakashi ran through the basics of the bell test again - they still had until noon, even if they were starting early, and anyone who didn’t get a bell was still going to end up tied to a post. 

The only difference was this time, when Kakashi threatened that the last one would end up failed and sent back to the Academy, Sasuke stiffened so fast Naruto was afraid he’d break his spine.

“You can’t  _ fail  _ us,” Sasuke demanded. “We worked hard to get here, making us wait another year to do it again is pointless.”   
“Eh, Sasuke,” Naruto cut in, holding his hands up placatingly. “I know it’s crappy, but at least we all graduated early. Nine is still better than twelve.”

Kakashi’s face, when Naruto looked up, was in the perfectly blank default state that he knew like the back of his own hand. That was Kakashi’s irritated face, the one he wore when he  _ really  _ wanted to look pissed off but had to pretend not to care.

It was, naturally, the expression he most often directed at Naruto. 

“If you don’t want to go back,” Kakashi said. “You’ll have to get a bell. Ready, set,  _ go.”  _

Sakura and Sasuke both instantly launched back, taking off in two different directions into the woods around them, but Naruto stayed.

Kakashi looked down at him, the aura of wrath around him becoming almost visible with intensity. “I said, begin. I’m not simply going to give you one.”

Naruto scratched at his cheek. “Yeah, but you’re not gonna attack, either. So I’m just as safe here as anywhere else.”

Kakashi’s eye twitched.

Naruto grinned. “Besides, you seem interesting. You’re a full jounin, right? Man, that must be fun.” He folded his hands behind his head. “Shisui says it’s not, but I don’t believe him, because he also says vegetables are delicious, and they  _ aren’t.  _ They’re gross.” He tipped his head, considering. “Fruit’s okay though, I guess. Oh, crap, are tomatoes fruits or vegetables? If they’re vegetables, Sasuke will kill me. He loves tomatoes. Did you know he loves tomatoes? He-...”   
_ Ching.  _

Kakashi startled, and Naruto looked over as he looked down in shock, staring at the tiny hand of Sasuke Uchiha that had just casually snatched a bell off of his belt. 

Kakashi looked between the boy holding the bell and Naruto, back and forth, ever so slowly, processing what just happened.

He’d been  _ played.  _

“You were a distraction,” he realized. “I wasn’t watching for him, because I was listening to you.”

Naruto grinned up at him unapologetically. “I’m really good at being distracting. Everyone says I’m super annoying, and it’s hard to focus when you’re annoyed.”

_ You could say that again,  _ Kakashi thought, biting back a curse. He was trying so hard not to throttle the kid he’d stopped watching for the other two.

Without a word, he launched back, settling into a branch with his book. “Oh well. One down, one to go.”

He was simply going to read and watch for chakra, but paused once he was out of sight, watching Naruto turn to Sasuke with a scrunched up nose and say something that appeared to be a reprimand. 

Figures. Naruto had probably been saving that distraction for himself, not for Sasuke to take. 

  
  


“You should have let Sakura grab it,” Naruto scolded Sasuke. “You have a better chance of grabbing a bell on your own than she does.”

“You have a better chance this way,” Sasuke said. “I’m not forfeiting being on your team, Naruto.”

Naruto waved a hand, shrugging it off. “I’m not worried. You two get the bells, it’ll be fine. If someone tells Suzume-sensei she has to teach me for another year, they’re gonna get a taste of their  _ own ‘ _ bells,’ y’know?”

He received a blank stare.

“Oh, what do you know,” Naruto muttured. “You’re  _ eight.”  _

“You are younger than me,” Sasuke told him.

Naruto groaned. “Don’t remind me! Ugh, I’m a  _ baby.  _ It’ll take me  _ forever  _ to be an adult.” 

Sasuke squinted at him, confused, but was saved from the weird conversation by Sakura blurring into sight next to them. 

“You got a bell!” she cried out. “Ugh. That one was so easy, and I didn’t even realize it. No way I’m getting one, now.”

“Nah, you’re fine!” Naruto told her. Sasuke waited for him to echo the explanation he’d just gotten, that he didn’t want a bell, but instead Naruto offered her a thumbs up and an encouraging smile. “Sasuke got one because he cheated, but you’re smart enough to get it honest.” Sasuke bristled, but was ignored. “Just go for it! I’m sure you can think of something.”

“But..” Sakura frowned at him. “What about you?”

Naruto shrugged. “Eh, if I need one, I’ll wrestle Sasuke for it, y’know?”

Sakura gave a determined nod and took off, likely preparing her own attack strategy, leaving the boys alone.

“You told her something different,” Sasuke pointed out. “Who did you lie to?”   
“Neither of you,” Naruto insisted. “I told the truth both times! Sakura’s smart enough to get a bell, and I could just steal yours if I really needed one. I just hope this is over soon enough I can get something to eat. Did you skip breakfast like he said? I didn’t, but I’m hungry again anyway.”

Sasuke watched as the blonde went rambling on, sprawling back out onto the grass and staring up at the sky.

God, he couldn’t  _ believe  _ he had a crush on that idiot.

Naruto smiled brightly up at him from the dirt, throwing a ‘Right, Sasuke?’ his way, and Sasuke felt his stomach turn over.

Right. So maybe he  _ could _ believe it, just a little. 

  
  
  


Kakashi tossed a shuriken lazily, letting it strike the one headed for him, and listening to the clink of them both dropping to the ground as he turned the page in his book.

Honestly, it was getting kind of hard to care about derailing thrown weapons when the main characters were  _ finally  _ getting somewhere. 

“Hideaki is in love with Isamu,” a voice came from behind him, and Kakashi didn’t even bother being surprised that Naruto had snuck up on him. He had been watching the kid’s chakra, and as far as he could tell, Naruto was still rambling at Sasuke while cloud-watching.

The kid’s chakra had a bad habit of randomly spiking, though, and it seemed one of those spikes was him creating a clone, which was now hanging over his shoulder and  _ spoiling his books.  _

“That doesn’t make sense,” Kakashi told him. “They haven’t even met. And you shouldn’t be reading these yet, anyway.”

“Eh,” Naruto said, climbing onto a branch over Kakashi’s and hanging down so they were eye-to-eye, even if the boy was upside down. “They meet in the end of the book, I think. And then... _ Violence,  _ that’s the one where they fight a bunch and Hideaki gets all mopey because he’s got a big fat crush.”

“Hideaki, the womanizer, is in love with a man,” Kakashi said, dubious. Why he was entertaining the conversation, he had no idea, but it was oddly fascinating to hear an  _ eight year old  _ talk about an extremely adult series with the tone of a casual reviewer. “Alright, I’ll bite. When do we find that out?”

“You don’t,” Naruto said. “I didn’t even notice until Gaara pointed it out, but now I can’t see how I missed it. Hideaki even straight out says at one point that he’s more interested in Isamu than his girlfriend.” 

Kakashi blinked. “I’m sure that made sense in context, but I’m not there yet.” He paused, then, straightening. “You and Gaara have regular conversations about  _ adult fiction?”  _

“Not regular conversations,” Naruto said. “He was just complaining to me that they weren’t helpful.”

“ _ Helpful?!”  _

Naruto startled, and then waved Kakashi off frantically. “No, no, not like that! Just. Temari had a crush, right, and Gaara is  _ hopeless  _ with emotional stuff, so Kankuro told him to read a book. And Gaara thought romance serials were just about  _ romance,  _ not adult stuff, so he read the first one. After that he just finished them to see where it was going, because he’s a completionist. If you ever wanna irritate him, start a game of shogi and then walk away. It makes him so  _ mad.”  _

Kakashi wondered who exactly was the poor soul who had to find out that particular quirk of the Suna jinchuuriki (if he  _ was _ the jinchuuriki - they were pretty sure he was _ ,  _ but no one ever confirmed or denied it when asked) for Naruto to be regaled with the story via letter. His heart went out to the poor bastard.

A kunai approached again, and Kakashi knocked it away. He reached to grab another kunai to have on hand, only to realize he was out.

...Oh. So  _ that _ was her game. 

Jeez, he was getting shown up by eight year olds. He must  _ really  _ be off his game.

Then again…

He squinted at Naruto, who was still hanging upside down, lazily swinging back and forth on the branch. 

That was no normal child. Naruto wore a cloak of innocence and naivety, and he wore it well, but Kakashi could see that it was only the surface. Under that, someone - some _ thing,  _ perhaps - was watching, waiting, calculating. 

He never wanted to believe that Naruto was defined by the demon in him, or that Minato’s seal would fail in the slightest, but something was undeniably  _ wrong  _ about this kid. 

It was throwing him off, watching a child he’d written off from the start show that he  _ intended  _ to be disregarded. Naruto knew he was an afterthought at best to most people and used it to his advantage, hiding in plain sight, going unheard by talking nonstop. 

The village was so determined to erase Naruto from its history, to pretend the stain on their characters that he represented never existed, that they gave him the perfect weapon to use if he ever wanted to tear them apart. In trying to protect themselves by shunning the jinchuuriki, they may have secured their own downfall. 

Naruto twisted, suddenly, dropping down to his feet on Kakashi’s branch. “Shisui?”

The same second he said it, Kakashi registered the chakra, if only barely: it was very, very erratic, barely recognizable as the usually calm and collected Uchiha.

“Naruto!” Shisui called out, body flickering next to them in the tree. “Itachi is fighting with his father. I don’t-...I can’t  _ stop  _ him, but I can’t just…”

Naruto nodded once and took off without another word, Shisui immediately letting out a low sigh of relief.

“What’s happening?” Kakashi demanded. “Where did he go?”

“The Uchiha compound,” Shisui told him. “I’m going, too, but I’ll catch up.”

“Why would you get  _ Naruto _ to talk down Itachi?” Kakashi asked. “Why not Sasuke?”

Shisui blanched, and shook his head sharply. “Sasuke would make it worse. Itachi is too protective of him to see sense where he’s concerned. Naruto knows the situation, and he can handle it - however it ends up playing out.”

Kakashi could read between the lines, there. “You are going to put your bets on an eight year old taking out either the Uchiha clan head or its heir?”

“Or both,” Shisui said, tone dead serious. “Naruto has been training with me and Itachi for two years. He knows exactly where we’re weakest. Fugaku is an unknown to him, mostly, but I’d still bank on Naruto - Fugaku’s strength is in his genjutsu, and Naruto’s chakra is too immense and erratic for the Sharingan to hold him long.”

Shisui sounded like he’d thought a lot on that, which unsettled him. “Shisui,” Kakashi said, slowly. “What exactly is going on with that kid?”

Shisui stared at him, face blank, before suddenly closing off more thoroughly than if he’d summoned a physical wall. “Naruto has had a hard time,” he said, voice colder than Kakashi had ever heard it be. “And yet, he still tries to make others’ lives easier. It makes you wonder how strong he is - to have so much weight on him, and still try and spare others their own burdens.” He looked off, into the direction of the Uchiha compound. “I need to go. Naruto will have gotten there by now.” Shisui gave him one last long, cool stare, before suddenly dropping it and smiling warmly.

Kakashi was on guard instantly.

“I believe you should focus on your two remaining genin,” Shisui said. “After all, it is rare for the bell test to end so efficiently.”

Shisui flickered away just as the sound of the second bell being pulled from his belt registered.

He was going to kill the Hokage for this, he decided. He’d take being a missing-nin over putting up with the three hellions. 

  
  
  


“The village had reason to be suspicious of us!” Itachi was yelling when Naruto reached the compound, chakra masked as he slid between buildings in search of his friend. “Instead of punishing them for their fear, you should look to alleviate it. You’re just proving them right, plotting like this!” 

“They had their chance to see us as we were,” Fugaku countered. “They chose to remain blind. If they would see reason, I would not need to plan this.”

Naruto dropped down from the roof of Sasuke’s house to land between the Uchihas, listening to the shuffling sound as the gathered crowd staggered back from his appearance. 

“Uzumaki,” Fugaku greeted, flatly. “You’ve picked a bad time to drop in.”

“Doesn’t look like that to me,” Naruto replied easily, smiling up at the clan head. “It seems like Itachi could use some help.”

“You have no knowledge of this argument,” Fugaku said. “Stay out of it.”

“But I  _ do  _ know what it’s about,” Naruto argued. When Fugaku straightened, he continued on, watching the horror dawn on the man’s face as he registered the situation. “The Uchiha got blamed for the Kyuubi attacking Konoha, and you’re bitter about it. And yeah, you have the right to be  _ mad,  _ but the village doesn’t need to be punished for things they did out of fear. Especially not when they’re not making their own choices.”

Fugaku narrowed his eyes. “Speak plainly, brat.”

“Danzo Shimura,” Itachi cut in. “The councilman. He’s been spreading the rumors about the Uchiha’s involvement in the attack, encouraging people to alienate us further. He  _ wants  _ a rebellion.”

Fugaku snapped straight, looking at him incredulously. “A hefty accusation. What would he possibly want with a coup against the village?” 

“You can’t think of  _ anything  _ that a creepy old dude like that would want from a super powerful clan like yours?” Naruto asked. “Seriously?”

Fugaku turned a furious stare back to Naruto. “I can think of many. I’m asking which one you think likely enough to accuse a council member of plotting against the village.”

“He’s not plotting against the village at all, though,” Naruto said. “At least, he doesn’t think so. He thinks its for the best.”

Fugaku paused, the pieces finally falling together. “The Sharingan,” he breathed. “He wants to use it in his experiments, with that organization of his.” 

“Root,” Itachi offered. “It’s worse than even what most people think it is - it’s full of kids, orphans and outcasts, who are trained to be loyal only to Danzo.”

“They have a seal,” Naruto told him. “On their tongues.”

Murmurs began around them as the Uchiha connected the dots as to what  _ that  _ meant. 

Fugaku frowned, rubbing a hand against his forehead. “How did you come to know this? Why should I trust a child with the safety of my entire clan?”

“Father,” Itachi said, softly. “I know Naruto’s sources, and I will not share them, but trust me when I say I believe him completely. Shisui trusts him with his life as well, and we  _ both  _ have verified the things he’s seen.”

Fugaku looked down to Naruto, stunned.

The child smiled up at him, eyes oddly haunted for one so small. “I know it’s hard to forgive people, sometimes,” he said. “But hate only makes more hate - even if you can’t make it better, you can stop making it worse.”

Fugaku let out a long, slow breath. “From the mouth of babes,” he muttured. 

“Will you listen, then?” Itachi asked. “Will you let me explain what has been happening?”

Fugaku gave a single, sharp nod.

“Good!” Naruto said, pumping a fist into the air. “Then I’m gonna leave you guys to it, ‘cause I totally just skipped out on my genin test, and if Sakura got a bell while I was gone I’ll never hear the end of it.”

He was gone in a blur, just as Shisui appeared in his place, looking frantic. 

“...Oh, I missed him,” Shisui said. “I got distracted by the girl getting a bell.”

“Poor Naruto,” Itachi said. “Sasuke won’t let him live that one down for a while.”

“Please. Sasuke would make fun of him for breathing if it meant they could talk regularly.”

Fugaku watched Itachi and his friend banter over the dynamics of the relationship of two children, and wondered exactly how much he’d missed in his own blind quest for justice. 

Judging by the strained look on Itachi’s face at the mention of Sasuke’s fondness for Naruto, he imagined it was a lot.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we take a glimpse at gaara and also watch naruto misread social cues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> double upload hype

Kakashi stared at his two remaining burdens. 

“Well, you both got bells,” he said. “Even if you did it without any effort on your own. I’d tie Naruto to a post and let you eat, but…”

“He  _ left?”  _ Sakura cried. “Oh, no wonder you weren’t paying attention! Ugh. That means Sasuke must still have his bell. Sensei, you have to let us keep going! Naruto needs the chance to steal it back!”

“He’s not going to, idiot,” Sasuke told her. “He didn’t want a bell.”

Kakashi blinked. “What?”

“He said he wasn’t going to grab one,” Sasuke said, tone implying he thought Kakashi was an idiot for not knowing that. “He said we should get them instead.”

Kakashi’s mind whirled as he tried to understand that reasoning. “He...wanted you two to pass. Without him?”

“He said Suzume would kill you if you made her take him back on as a student,” Sasuke offered. “So he told us to get the bells, and he’d worry about himself at the end.” 

_ He acted as distraction for both of them to take the bells,  _ Kakashi realized.  _ He wasn’t acting selfishly at all. I knew he was using his identity as a mask, and I still fell for it. Even if he did it out of confidence he wouldn’t be failed, he still made sure his teammates got through with him. _

“Hey guys!” Naruto’s voice called, and Kakashi watched him flicker back into place beside his teammates. “Sorry, Kakashi-sensei! Shisui needed a favor. Itachi gets really huffy sometimes, and I’m too cute to stay mad at, y’know.”

Sasuke’s eye twitched, which Kakashi took as evidence to the contrary. 

“But we’re all just standing around, so I guess Sakura-chan got a bell, too?” He looked between his teammates. “Ah, cool, cool. That means I miss lunch, right? I’ll have to eat extra at dinner. I wonder if old man Teuchi will let me pay him back if I don’t have the money tonight...”

“Naruto,” Kakashi interrupted. “Your teammates tell me you forfeited the competition for them.”

Naruto blinked, before groaning. “Guys! You ratted me out? That’s mean. My plan was so good.” He grinned at Kakashi. “See, I was gonna let you be like ‘well, you fail, you’re going back to the Academy.’ And then I was gonna be like ‘well, that’s lame! I have to spend more time in Suzume’s class! She’s gonna be so  _ mad.’  _ And then you’d probably panic, because everyone is afraid of Suzume-sensei, and then I’d get passed anyway.”

“Remarkably confident,” Kakashi said, voice dry. “But I’m not scared enough of a chunin to warrant passing someone who deliberately sabotaged his own mission.”

“But I didn’t, though,” Naruto said. At Kakashi’s raised eyebrow, he squared his shoulders, chin tipping up. “I didn’t sabotage it at all! If the mission was to get the bells, it succeeded. I may not have done it, but my teammates did, and that means it was complete! One of us was always going to have to miss a bell. Why make us fight for it, when we could all get through together?”

Kakashi realized, then, with a sudden horror, that the bell test had just been passed. Not only that, it had been passed in an entirely new and infuriating way, rather than the careful life lesson that his own test had been.

“...Meet back here in the morning,” he sighed, resigned. “I’ll bring your first mission.”

Sakura and Naruto cheered, with Sasuke letting out a relieved sigh, but Kakashi didn’t wait around for the reactions. He just took off, headed to the Hokage’s office.

That old man was going to get an earful for this.

Honestly, if he could meet a single person who genuinely enjoyed that kid’s company, he would buy them a drink. They were clearly a stronger person than he was.

  
  
  
  


Sitting in his living room in Suna, Gaara sneezed. 

Temari looked at him immediately, eyes narrowed. “Did you spend the night on the roof again? You’re going to get sick one day.”

“I didn’t,” Gaara told her. “I was in my room writing a letter.”

“Figures,” she said. “Are you ever  _ not  _ writing to Naruto?”

“Yes,” Gaara said. “Sometimes I’m reading his letters, instead.”

“He’s got you there,” Kankuro said, before ducking the swing Temari sent his way, laughing all the while. 

“How’s he doing?” Temari asked. “He was about to take the graduation exam, right?”

“He passed,” Gaara informed her. “He hadn’t met his team yet at the time of sending the letter, so I expect I’ll hear about them in the next one.”

“Have you told him about the plan, yet?” she asked.

“I wrote it into this letter.” 

The plan in question was Gaara’s own, and one he came up with purely out of frustration at having to sit around and do nothing for extended periods of time. He managed to talk his father into letting him take an Academy standard graduation test, with Temari and Kankuro at his sides to form his team. Sure enough, the three had passed easily, even with Suna’s tough standards. They were all genin, now, and they would start getting team assignments as soon as Yashamaru’s retirement from Anbu finalized.

He felt sort of bad for not letting Baki end up as their sensei again, but the excitement of being on a team entirely made up of loving and supportive family was enough to overshadow any negative feelings. Not to mention he could stop looking over his shoulder for the day Yashamaru’s duty to the village called on him to try and take Gaara out.

Not, of course, that Gaara would ever stop watching his back or sleeping with open eyes, but it was nice to have his  _ main  _ source of paranoia quelled.

...Odd, he supposed, that he was so used to Shukaku’s constant presence and grudging assistance that the bijuu was no longer even a minor concern to him, beyond the knowledge that he needed the seal fixed. 

As if in response to his thoughts, Shukaku’s chakra stirred in him, rising up to probe about in his mind in the way Gaara had learned he did when he wanted to know what was happening.

_ Nothing’s going on,  _ he told the Ichibi.  _ Temari is asking about Naruto. _

_ Tell her your boyfriend is fine,  _ Shukaku quipped.  _ I talked to Kurama last night in the shared plane. Apparently, the brat got his old team back exactly. _

_ Even Sakura? _

_ Even  _ **_Kakashi_ ** _ ,  _ Shukaku confirmed.  _ All three of the brats graduated early. Apparently you lot just can’t wait to get out and get killed for your prison guards. _

Gaara rolled his eyes, because Shukaku’s casually disregard for every living person outside of Gaara’s inner circle was something that never really got less ridiculous. 

“Talking to the tanuki again?” Kankuro asked, catching his eyeroll. His siblings always seemed fascinated by his casual relationship with his bijuu, and occasionally used him as translator to bother Shukaku with questions.

Shukaku usually answered with casual threats, dry humor, and sarcasm, which wasn’t too much different than talking to Gaara, honestly. 

“He continues to insist my relationship with Naruto is romantic,” Gaara passed on. A moment later, he added, “And disturbing. He wanted me to make sure to add that.”

“He’s not wrong,” Temari said. “Two baby jinchuuriki talking regularly about their weird lives is already kind of creepy, but it gets weirder when you hear how you talk about him.” 

“‘Hello, have you heard about the greatest ninja ever and absolute love of my life, Naruto Uzumaki?’” Kankuro said, mimicking Gaara’s flat voice. “Why, no, Gaara. I haven’t. Tell me more. ‘Allow me to begin my three day lecture on why he is the greatest human alive, then. Chapter One, Naruto is Actual Human Sunshine.’”

Gaara sniffed. “Naruto is my best friend,” he told them. “I do not have a crush on him, despite what everyone seems to think. I love him, yes, but as a brother.” He eyed Kankuro for a moment, and then amended, “Perhaps more than that, but still platonic.”

“Hey!” Kankuro cried, offended. “That hurts, Gaara. I’ll have you know I love you plenty.”

“He loves your cooking,” Temari corrected. “And that you clean his room when it becomes a total disaster. The rest is secondary.” She walked over, placing a quick peck of a kiss to the top of Gaara’s head. “I, however, love you unconditionally, which is why I’m your favorite sibling.”

“You are certainly my favorite sister,” Gaara allowed. “My favorite female relative, even.”

“Smartass.” She shoved him, plopping down on the couch next to him. “Keep that up and I’ll let the neighbor’s cat use your sand as a litterbox.”

_ PLEASE,  _ Shukaku called out in his mind.  _ Imagine chucking cat crap at an enemy. Just imagine it.  _

Gaara grimaced. “Please do not.” 

Temari smiled, ruffling his hair. “Then  _ behave _ , little brother. Otherwise I’ll make sure our first D-rank mission is a cat catching one.”

Gaara wondered, for a moment, if perhaps reconciling with his siblings should have been a lower priority for him.

  
  
  


Naruto knew that he’d probably irritated the absolute hell out of Kakashi, messing with his test like that...but, well. He couldn’t resist. At least Sakura’s bell had been an actual accident, even if he distracted Kakashi for Sasuke on purpose.

Which, to be fair, he intended that one to be Sakura’s. He just hadn’t counted on Sasuke paying him enough attention to notice what he was up to. 

He needed to find a way to get Kakashi to realize he wasn’t  _ trying  _ to be a jerk, because his sensei would be one of his greatest allies against the Akatsuki, especially Obito. 

Not to mention, Naruto missed the guy. The creepy perverted jounin was an absolute mess, but he was family, just like the rest of Team Seven. 

So, he hatched a sort of half-baked plan, and set out to find Kakashi the afternoon after their genin test.

  
  
  


“You want to train alone?”

Naruto nodded solemnly, and Kakashi felt his teeth set on edge. How was it that his sensei had never once been arrogant or selfish, and yet his son seemed to think he was above his teammates?

“Sorry, but genin teams are trained together and work together. Solo ninja teams are usually only for jounin, and definitely never less than a chunin.”

To his surprise, Naruto’s eyes widened, and he looked  _ offended.  _ “I don’t want to abandon my team!” 

Kakashi blinked his visible eye at the kind, and Naruto took that as prompt to continue.

“Kakashi-sensei, I need to train alone  _ in addition  _ to group training,” he said. “I’m good at ninjutsu but I’m terrible at everything else, and I can’t get better only practicing with people that are  _ already  _ good at it. I need to catch up.”

Kakashi stared. “Why not ask Sasuke to teach you?”

Naruto’s lips pressed into a thin line, and the boy looked away. “Sasuke...doesn’t need me hanging around him all the time. People are already weird around the Uchiha clan, and I  _ know  _ I’m making it worse.” He gave a terribly forced grin and a shrug. “Besides, I think Sasuke might be embarrassed of me! He always gets all red when I try to be nice.”

Kakashi twitched.  _ I thought he was selfish,  _ he thought,  _ but he’s just oblivious.  _

“I’ll give you your own training tasks to do,” Kakashi conceded. “But you’ll be doing them  _ during  _ group training, so you’ll be doing double the work.”

“Thanks, Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto said. “I won’t let you down!”

The genin took off, likely heading back to his apartment, and Kakashi looked up at the sky as though looking to his own sensei.

_ Minato, I don’t understand,  _ he thought.  _ I can’t tell if your son is planning something, or if he’s just a moron.  _

He looked back, watching Naruto pause his run home to catch a vase one of the shopkeepers dropped, only to be yelled at and shooed away when he tried to hand it back. The boy simply set it carefully on the counter and continued on his way, seemingly unbothered. 

What had Shisui said?  _ It makes you wonder how strong he is, to carry so much weight and still try to take burdens from others. _

“He’ll be interesting,” Kakashi muttered to himself. “If nothing else, I won’t be bored.” 

  
  
  


Getting back to D-ranks was just as boring as Naruto anticipated, and he was going insane over it. If he had to catch one more cat or paint one more fence, he’d punch someone, he was sure. 

His most recent letter from Gaara made it worse: his friend had apparently  _ also  _ been made a genin, except he was only going on C-ranks occasionally and otherwise just training. 

“They got a mission the other day to hunt down a wildcat that was living in one of the caves near the village,” Naruto recounted to his teammates while hammering at nails on a roof repair, their latest ‘mission.’ “Gaara likes animals, but they don’t really like  _ him,  _ so he was really nervous about it. Turns out the wildcat was pregnant and getting a den ready. Temari knocked the cat out without hurting it and they moved it to another, safer cave, where she wouldn’t bother anyone or get bothered by people looking in on her. He said he’s probably gonna go back and visit her later, and make sure she’s okay and has her babies alright. Oh, man, can you imagine Gaara with a kitten? He-...”

“ _ Naruto _ ,” Sasuke snapped. “You have been on the same tile for ten minutes. Stop talking and help us finish this.”

Naruto groaned. “This is so  _ boring,  _ though, is my point. Gaara is a genin, too, and he’s doing fun stuff while we’re fixing roofs.” He turned, calling out to Kakashi. “Hey, Kakashi-sensei, when do we get to do something fun? I’m no good at busywork, y’know!”

“You’ll get C-ranks when you are ready,” Kakashi called back. “There aren’t a lot of those just lying around. Konoha is lucky - we’re stable and at peace, so we don’t really get a lot of requests to escort people through our territory or anything like that.”

Naruto remembered, then, that whatever task they ended up on would not be the same as before - Tazuna wouldn’t be building his bridge for four whole years. 

….Wait.

“Crap,” Naruto muttered to himself, before rocking back onto his heels and slamming his eyes shut, forcing himself quickly into the mental plane he shared with Kurama.

The fox greeted him with a raised eyebrow. “Naruto. I’m sure your teammates are going to be thrilled with you leaving them on the roof to chat with me. And I’m sure your sensei won’t be suspicious of you randomly meditating at all.”

“I know, I know,” Naruto said. “But I needed to tell you something, before I forgot!” He looked up to the nine-tails, face grim and serious. “Isobu’s jinchuuriki, Yagura, is under a genjutsu. Madara Uchiha is using him to keep Kiri under his control.”

Kurama growled. “That asshole again. I still owe him for the attack. I don’t like being controlled.” He flicked his tails irritably. “Head back out, brat. I’ll see if I can get ahold of Isobu through our plane and talk  _ him  _ out of it, if nothing else. If Isobu can override Yagura’s chakra for a bit, it would probably disrupt the genjutsu enough for it to break.” 

“Thanks, Kurama!” Naruto said, flashing him a smile and a thumbs up. “I knew I could count on you!”

“Go fix a roof, moron,” Kurama snapped, and Naruto left the mental plane laughing.

He opened his eyes back up to see Sasuke an inch from his face, staring right at him.

“Ah!” He reeled backwards, falling onto his butt on the edge of the roof. “Geez, what’s with the stare?”

“You zoned out,” Sasuke said. “What were you doing?”

Naruto blinked, before rubbing the back of his neck, grinning. “I made a clone earlier, so I was checking on it,” he lied.

Well, not  _ really  _ lied - he did, in fact, have a clone out, but said clone was currently under a henge and hanging out in the civilian district, picking up Naruto’s latest round of necessities that he couldn’t just nab from the drugstore after hours and leave behind change for. 

Being a village outcast was a lot harder than Naruto remembered.

“You better not be pranking anyone,” Sasuke scolded. “Shisui keeps getting complaints about it, and he’s only not laughing in people’s faces because he’s nice.” 

“That sounds like a reason to keep doing it,” Naruto countered. “I’ll stop when they start going to Itachi.”

“Some have tried. He made sure to let them know you were not his problem.”

Naruto grinned, returning to tiling the roof. “That was Tenzo, huh?”

“The screaming sounded familiar,” Sasuke said blandly, “So I’d assume.”

“You two are weird,” Sakura told them. “I can’t tell what you are to each other.”

Sasuke flushed immediately, but Naruto simply smiled up at her, entirely oblivious. “Easy! Shisui is my friend, and Itachi is Shisui’s  _ best  _ friend, and Sasuke is Itachi’s brother. So we all know each other and I like all of them even if two of them don’t like me.”

Sakura stared at Naruto for a second, then looked to Sasuke, as though asking  _ Is he for real? _

Sasuke let out a long-suffering sigh, and Sakura’s heart went out to him. Poor guy was doomed. 

  
  
  


“Okay,” Kakashi said, dropping into the Hokage’s office through the window and staring the old man and the teacher that acted as his secretary most of the time. “I give up. What the  _ fuck  _ is with the kid?”

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Hiruzen said, even as he collected what was clearly bet winnings from the teacher. 

Wait. The  _ teacher.  _ That was Iruka, wasn't it? The teenage teacher at the Academy who had Naruto in his class originally?

_ The one who let three eight year olds test into genin, thus landing Kakashi with them? _

“Ah,” Sarutobi said, sounding ridiculously amused. “Iruka, please meet Kakashi Hatake. He is Naruto’s jounin sensei.”

“I caught that,” Iruka said. “Mind telling me what you meant, Hatake-san?” 

Something about the mix of the polite honorfic and the serene smile on the teacher’s face promised bloodshed, and Kakashi wondered how exactly the kid had won over so many terrifying people. 

“He cheated through the bell test,” he said, addressing Sarutobi, since the man would understand what that meant. “He didn't even try for a bell. He played distraction for the other two.”

“Sounds like Naruto,” Iruka said. 

“He  _ claimed  _ he wasn't worried, because Suzume would kill me if I sent him back to her.”

“Very true,” Sarutobi said. “But likely not Naruto’s true thinking.”

Kakashi looked the the Hokage for explanation, but Iruka answered instead. 

“Naruto probably said he wasn't worried,” the teacher said. “But I bet he was. Knowing Naruto, I wouldn't be surprised if he was willing to fail for those two - he wouldn't want to be the thing holding someone back from becoming a ninja. Too many people have tried to pin him down and hold him back for him to be comfortable doing it to someone else.”

Kakashi stared at him. “The kid is probably the most self-assured and pretentious little shit I've ever met.”

Iruka glared at him. “Once, I put Naruto against another kid in his class for a taijutsu match. Shino - the Aburame heir? The kid started panicking, and told me he was afraid Naruto would be too rowdy, and kill some of his bugs.” He shifted in his seat, fixing Kakashi with a look that could freeze a forest fire. “Naruto must have heard him, because all of the sudden, he started making a stink about having to fight someone with bugs in their coat. Claimed to hate bugs, and not want anything to do with them. He forfeited the match.” Iruka smiled, eyes distant. “That was before Naruto started doing well in class. He couldn't afford the failing grade, but he took it anyway, and found a way to make sure Shino wasn't thought to be responsible for it.” He glared at Kakashi again, then, and told him in a low voice, “That's the kind of person Naruto is. He'd let people hate him for the rest of his life if it kept them loving each other. He's the kind of person who would be dying of thirst and still offer water to a stranger. Be careful insulting that boy around me, Hatake-san. He is like a little brother to me.”

Kakashi watched as the teacher got up and walked calmly out of the office, clearly satisfied with his final word. 

The jounin looked to Sarutobi again, bewildered. “What  _ is  _ this kid?” 

“Naruto Uzumaki,” Sarutobi drawled, “Is, without a doubt, his parents’ child. For better or worse.”

“He's up to something,” Kakashi said. “He’s smarter than he lets on.”

“I'm aware,” Hiruzen said. “But until we know what he is trying to do, we can't do anything but wait. I will tell you this, though: I trust Naruto. If you can't believe anything else about him, believe he loves the village with all his heart.”

That would have to be enough, Kakashi supposed. He could trust Naruto to get that from his parents, at least. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> everyone: gaara is gay and loves naruto  
> gaara: ....well i mean youre not _wrong_


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> does anyone even read these summaries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's so much plot in this chapter i actually mistook this fic for a serious one for 0.2 seconds  
> but no, it's still self indulgent trash, never fear

“Kurama,” Shukaku greeted, when Kurama dipped into their shared mental plane. “You look just as pissed as ever.”

“Oh, shut up, you giant sand rat.” Kurama sat in front of him, his tails curling forward to settle around him - a measurable improvement from how they usually flicked behind him impatiently. “Naruto told me something I thought I should pass on. Who knows, you might even be helpful.”

“A ringing endorsement,” Shukaku drawled. “What is it?”

“Isobu is being controlled by a genjutsu.”

Shukaku growled, shifting back onto his haunches in indignation. “Bastards. Where is he? I haven't been keeping up with the other containers.”

“Apparently in the Mizukage,” Kurama said. “Ruling Kiri and making it into an utter cesspool.”

“Explains why they'd control him and not just take him, at least.” He stretched for a moment before standing, looking to the oldest of his siblings. “Alright, then. Let's go get him back to fighting shape. I'd rather we have all nine of us when the crazies start trying to turn us into the ten-tails, thanks.”

A small flick of Kurama’s ears was the only outward sign of gratitude, but Shukaku chose to accept it anyway.

  
  


The genjutsu on Isobu was obvious the second his brothers approached, because his greeting to them was a growl and a shift to an attack stance, and Kurama was fairly certain Isobu wouldn’t go on defensive that fast if someone ran at him with a weapon drawn. The turtle had always been calm and pacifistic, the perfect midway between Matatabi’s quiet and respectful demeanor and Kokuo’s obsessive peacemaking.

Kurama thought of what Naruto had said - that the three-tailed bijuu was being used to terrorize Kiri.

Isobu. A _terror._

It would have been laughable if it wasn’t so damn irritating.

“Isobu!” He called out, approaching his sibling, signalling with a flick of a tail for Shukaku to hang back. The Ichibi was far too antagonistic for anything but a last resort. “I heard you got leashed.”

Isobu’s spiked tails thrashed, and Kurama watched his eyes for any sign of clarity.

He got none.

“Ah, damn,” he sighed. “We’re going to have to do it the hard way.” He looked behind him, to Shukaku. “Your plan it is.”

Shukaku grinned, and then sped full-force toward Isobu, barrelling straight into the other bijuu and throwing him back. “Wake up, you spiky-shelled prick. I don’t have time to drag my container to Kiri to kick your ass!”

Kurama wondered if he was going to be surrounded by morons forever.

He thought of his jinchuuriki, grinning brightly and telling him they’d be great friends one day.

...Probably yes, then. Dammit.

“Isobu,” Kurama called again, and then flicked out with his chakra - even with it halved, it was still immense, and easily overwhelmed Isobu’s own. He let the flow disrupt for only a moment before drawing back, watching as Isobu shook himself, slowly blinking back into awareness.

“...Shukaku?” Isobu murmured. “Kurama? What are you doing…?” He straightened, then, looking alarmed. “The Uchiha! Oh, I’m gonna - He’s got _Yagura!_ I actually _like_ Yagura!”

“So break him loose, idiot,” Kurama told him. “Preferably _before_ he tears open Kiri or starts a world war.”

“He _what?”_

Isobu didn’t wait for an answer, just dissipated right out of their mental plane, probably returning to the private one he shared with his jinchuuriki to break the genjutsu.

“New plan,” Kurama said, to Shukaku. “Next time that brat asks for a favor that involves one of you lot, I’m saying no.”

“Just pass it on,” Shukaku said. “I’ve got nothing better to do, and it's always nice to remind our family who’s boss!”

“You can call yourself ‘boss’ when you grow nine more tails, jackass.” Kurama shoved his brother, and then began walking away, moving to return to his own space. “Until then, I’ll still win.”

“At least my jinchuuriki is cooler.”

Kurama paused, turning narrowed eyes on the tanuki. “Excuse me? The slug with no eyebrows?”

“Versus the loudmouthed moron?” Shukaku returned, and Kurama growled, launching at him.

Telling Naruto they’d fixed the problem could wait. He had a little brother to pummel.

  
  


Meanwhile, in Konoha, someone else was _also_ dealing with a younger brother problem.

“Tell me again, _slowly,”_ Itachi drawled. “What _exactly_ made you think this was a good idea?”

Three pairs of black eyes stared up at him, only one familiar - the other two crude bastardizations of the first.

Itachi would hand it to him, though - this was only the third or fourth attempt he’d made, and the shadow clones were actually partially solid this time.

It’d be impressive if it weren’t for the fact that Sasuke’s chakra was so heavily exhausted Itachi could practically feel a tangible hole in the air around him, like a star collapsing in on itself to make a black hole.

“Naruto does it all the time,” Sasuke told him.

Itachi dragged a hand over his face. Of _course._ It was Naruto, it was always _Naruto,_ and Itachi tried _very hard_ not to speculate where that was going to go. Sasuke’s crush amused the hell out of Shisui, but Itachi didn’t like it: Naruto was a weird kid, who knew way more than he or Shisui ever took time to explain to him. He knew the kid was a jinchuuriki, friends with Suna’s jinchuuriki, and somehow knew enough about the Uchiha coup plans to warn Shisui that they were being used as puppets. Even though Itachi had told his father he knew Naruto’s sources, it was a lie: if anything, he felt he knew less than anyone else about it.

Shisui had once called Naruto’s gifts of information his “dowry” for Sasuke, and Itachi still saw a faint tinge of red when he thought of it.

Naruto was a great person, yes, but Sasuke was his brother, and was _eight._ Everyone could keep a nice, long distance, as far as he was concerned. At least for another eight to ten years.

One of the shadow clones popped, finally cracking under the weight of its own instability, and Sasuke looked at the air where it had been with an impressive pout.

Maybe fifteen years. Sasuke needed a _long_ time to grow.

  
  


Naruto had, in retrospect, been insanely lucky. Not because of the chance of the redo, even though that was nothing short of a miracle. Not even because of the easy reception his new knowledge had received.

He was lucky, because no one had noticed yet how broken he was.

He loved Konoha, he loved his friends, and seeing them healthy and whole was a comfort even after two years with them. But some days he still caught his breath at the light of the moon, still looked over his shoulder for pursuers, still called out for a guard he didn't have or moved to protect a member of a squad that would never be formed.

Which was why this was really understandable, even if he hadn't been expecting it.

“Naruto!” Sakura called, watching the kid hit his knees, fingernails cutting crescents into his palms as he pressed tight fists into his eyes, curling into a shaking ball of unspeakable panic.

 _This is stupid,_ Naruto screamed at himself. _We aren't in that place anymore._

But he couldn't hear the thought. They were on one of their many tedious D-rank missions, fixing a little bridge over a stream in the park, but it had run late. That was all it took - looking up from his work to see Sakura staring at the full moon, entranced by it's beauty. Hearing her comment on it to Sasuke, and watching the kid turn to observe it himself, had sent ice down Naruto’s spine.

He didn't have a way to explain that one away. He didn't have an excuse or a joke or a deflection. He'd panicked out of nowhere for all they knew, and the knowledge he'd just backed himself into a corner made his breathing come faster and harsher, sending him deeper into despair.

“Naruto,” Kakashi called to him, voice calm and controlled in the way a ninja aspired to stay. “Take deep breaths, and try to calm down. You’re not in any danger.”

Naruto tried to listen, taking shaky breaths in through his nose until he finally managed to unclench his jaw enough to take them through his mouth.

“What happened?” He heard Sakura asked, just as he felt his nails cut into his palms enough to draw blood.

“Nothing,” he panted out. “I’m fine. I’m…” He clenched his eyes shut, and then snapped them back open, hating the images of his dead friends that danced behind them. “I just. I remembered something bad.” He tipped his head back, tentatively looking up to the moon.

Full, bright - but normal. He felt no draw, no swimming in his mind, nothing to worry him. He snapped his chakra once like a whip around him, and there was no change. No genjutsu was in place.

He slumped forward, letting out a relieved and exhausted breath.

“Maybe we should call it a night,” Kakashi said, after a moment of silence. “We can work on this again in the morning.”

“No!” Naruto turned around, grabbing his jounin sensei’s sleeve. “I’m not leaving something unfinished! Not even something this simple. I’m fine, y’know, and I can keep going.” He rubbed the back of his head, frowning. “It’s not real, anyway. It’s just…” He let out a breath. “Just a bad dream.”

 _You’re gonna hurt yourself there, pup,_ Kurama called to him. _You need to talk to Gaara. I can link up with Shukaku if you want?_

 _Please,_ Naruto replied. _But later. First I’m gonna finish this._

_It’s a bridge, brat, it will still be there tomorrow._

Naruto sighed. “Fine, fine, okay. I’ll fix it tomorrow.”

Kakashi’s hand dropped down onto his head, making Naruto look up at him. “Even ninja have limits. Whatever froze you there is something you need to work through, but pushing yourself too far will only make it harder.”

Naruto nodded. “I know. I’m gonna go home, now.”

His team let him go, and he felt their eyes on his back as it slinked back toward his apartment.

Kurama was right, anyway. He needed to speak to Gaara.

  
  
  


Gaara frowned at his friend, listening as he gave a brief rundown of the events of his panic attack.

“I don’t like that I’m not nearby to help you for things like this,” Gaara said. “I’d adjusted to us being together constantly on the run from Kaguya, and even after two years back here I still tend to forget you aren’t with me and go to tell you something.”

“Same here,” Naruto said. “If I could get away with it, I’d head right up to Suna now. You’re closer to the Akatsuki anyway, right? They have a safehouse in Wind Country.”

“They might not be there,” Gaara reminded him. “They could be anywhere - if they’re in River Country, like before, they’re technically closer to you.”

Naruto flopped onto his back in the soft green fields of their mental world, staring up at a brilliant clear blue sky. “I wish this place was real,” he said, softly. “It’s so beautiful, and peaceful. You and I can hang out here and not worry about anything for a while. We’re even our old selves.”

He gestured between them, referring to their adult bodies they appeared in within the false world.

“We couldn’t stay here long,” Gaara told him. Instead of saying anything dark or depressing, though, he simply laid beside Naruto. “There’s no ramen, here.”

Naruto laughed. “That’s true! Ah, man, I guess I have to stay in Konoha, then. Ichiraku has my heart for life.”

Gaara smiled softly at the laughter, which was about as close to joining in as he got. “I would like to see you again, though,” he told his friend when they were quiet again. “Maybe I can convince my father to...Oh, I don’t know. I’m sure I’ll find a reason to go to Konoha at some point.” He snapped his fingers, then, sitting up as an idea occurred to him. “Oh, that’s it. Yagura broke his genjutsu thanks to Shukaku and Kurama’s interference. He’s probably going to call a Kage summit to let the other villages know he was targeted. If they do hold one, Konoha is the best choice for a host. I’ll join my father’s escort team, with my siblings and uncle.”

“Really?” Naruto sat up as well, reaching out to grab Gaara and drag him into a hug. “Oh man, I can’t wait! I haven’t seen you in a _year,_ and we used to hang out every day.”

“Running for our lives is not ‘hanging out,’ Naruto,” Gaara corrected. “But I am also eager to see you face-to-face. If only to get my sister to stop assuming I’m planning our wedding.”

Naruto tossed his head back in another, fuller laugh. “She’s gonna be hounding me when she gets here, I can already see it! Don’t worry, buddy, I’ll make sure she knows I’m not gonna break your delicate little heart.”

“Never,” Gaara said. Naruto’s laughter subsided at the fond-yet-serious tone, suggesting Gaara had once again decided to turn a joke into a bonding moment.

He was lucky Naruto loved him so much, because he had _way_ too many moral lessons to take them from just anybody.

“Naruto,” he said, voice soft. “I noticed something, in your letters.”

Naruto frowned. “What?”

“You talk about people like a stranger.” He took Naruto’s hands, turning them over in his own, toying with the fingers in a contemplative motion. “Each time you speak of someone you care about, you do it like you think it is entirely on you. Like they wouldn’t care about you in return, even if they had the chance to know you. You speak of Sasuke and Sakura and Kakashi like they’re lost to you already and entirely new to you at the same time.”

“They are.” Naruto pulled his hands free to grab Gaara’s shoulders, looking into the other’s eyes. “Everyone we knew, how we knew them - they’re _gone,_ Gaara. They won’t ever be like they were, not completely. Yeah, Sasuke’s still stubborn, and Sakura’s still a hothead, and Kakashi-sensei is still a huge weirdo, but they’re not like they _were._ They’re people who have never met me, and technically, I don’t know them, either. I just… I can’t keep thinking about people in terms of who I knew before. Everyone has to be their own brand new person, and be allowed to make their own life.” His shoulders slumped, a pained expression crossing his face. “If that means they never care about me like I do them, that’s fine. I’m not going to force them to put up with me. That’s not how love _works_.”

Gaara dragged his friend back into a hug. “There is no one past, present, or future that could meet you, the _real_ you, and not love you,” he assured Naruto. “Before we met I was convinced that love was a curse for me to carry, and a weapon to use against myself. You showed me that it was a strength, and a purpose, and I owe you more for that than I can ever repay.”

“Following me backwards twelve years is pretty good,” Naruto countered weakly.

“You chose twelve years because I asked for them,” Gaara reminded him. “Naruto, I don’t think you’ve ever been selfish in your life. If you won’t do this for you, do it for me: _make_ them look at you. Make them see you. Give them the chance to love you, like they did once in another life.”

“Ay, brat,” Kurama drawled, interrupting the boys. “Someone’s in our chakra wards. I think the Uchiha sprig is coming to check on you.”

“C’mon, pups,” Shukaku cut in as well. “If I have to watch you two any longer I’m gonna throw up on you. I’ve seen married couples less sappy.”

“Those poor couples,” Naruto joked, and Gaara snorted quietly into Naruto’s shoulder. “Okay, okay. I’ll see you later, Gaara - I’m holding you to that visit, so you better show!”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Naruto smiled, and dropped a kiss on the top of his friend’s head. “Yeah, I know. Get out of here before the tanuki tries to eat me.”

“I’m not going to _eat_ you,” Shukaku protested. “Only racoons eat garbage.”

Naruto made a rude gesture to the bijuu, and then vanished with Kurama before he could retaliate.

“I’m gonna kill that little shit one day,” Shukaku told Gaara.

“You can try,” Gaara replied, unconcerned. “But better men have failed.”

  
  
  


“Hokage-sama,” Kakashi greeted, stepping into the man’s office, taking note of the many, _many_ jounin gathered there. “You called for me?”

“I called for all my best,” he confirmed. “I got a message today asking if it would be alright for our village to host a summit for all the Kage. The Mizukage, Yagura, claims he has important news.”

Kakashi didn’t really have room to question the rumored bloodthirst of another person, but he looked to Inoichi, because if anyone could find a _tactful_ way to say ‘Isn’t that man fucking insane?’ it was their T&I director.

“Isn’t that the one who is turning his Academy graduations into bloodbaths for sport?” Inoichi asked.

Or not. Kakashi sighed. Tact among ninja was a lost art, it seemed.

“In this,” Sarutobi said, holding up his scroll, “Yagura claims he has been under a genjutsu for some time. He wants to call this meeting to share his concerns about the group he believes to be responsible for the attack.” He turned serious, grim set eyes directly on Kakashi. “He claims that this should be done in Konoha not only because we are the largest and most secure, but because we have also been attacked. Our fears that a Sharingan user controlled the Kyuubi were not unfounded, it seems.”

There was a strangled noise to the side, and Kakashi turned to see Fugaku Uchiha looking spectacularly offended. “None among my clan would have turned against the village in such a way,” he insisted. “I have endured your speculation because I knew we were innocent, but now I see that was foolish.”

“Father,” Itachi spoke from his side, gently. “He is not making an accusation, he is stating a fact. Uchiha are not the only ones who may use a Sharingan, provided they have one available. None in the village could have placed a genjutsu on the Mizukage at any point, especially not one strong enough to last so long. Whoever is responsible has one of our eyes, but is not part of our family.”

“That’s correct,” Sarutobi confirmed. “I track the missions of every person in this village to the minute detail, and none would have been able to approach the Mizukage without my notice. At the same time, all the Uchiha I would think strong enough to pull of such a thing are standing in this room, counted among my trusted few.” He nodded to where Fugaku, Itachi, and Shisui all stood together. “None of you has acted suspiciously or shown signs of the chakra exhaustion that would come with such a drain. Unless one of you has been siphoning chakra from Naruto, there is no way you could be responsible.”

“You can’t siphon chakra from Naruto,” Shisui informed the room, happily. “His chakra, even controlled, is intense. It would do more harm than anything else to a body that isn’t used to it. That’s why he can’t do medical jutsu worth a damn.”

“Not that he needs it,” Itachi added. “His healing factor is exceptional. He broke his arm last year and was back to throwing kunai in an hour.”

“That’s another thing I wanted to ask about, why we’re all here,” Fugaku said. “You all know Naruto Uzumaki, you know what he is, and you know _who_ he is. But can anyone honestly tell me they know what is going on with that child?”

Shisui raised a hand, smiling broadly, only to drop it as Itachi elbowed him sharply in the side. “Ouch.”

“No one asked you,” Itachi told him. “You’ve more or less adopted him. You don’t pay any mind to how strange he is.”

“Not true,” Shisui argued. “I know _exactly_ how weird he is. I also know he’s very smart, and strong, and loves the village with all his heart. And that he’s probably going to end up an Uchiha if Sasuke has any say about it.”

Itachi buried his face into his hands, giving up any semblance of composure, which Fugaku made a sound like he’d been struck.

Hiruzen cleared his throat, turning all eyes back to him. “There is an opportunity, here,” he said. “Naruto has one person he trusts more than anyone else. He refers to them often as his best friend, and would no doubt tell them everything, if he hasn’t already.” He pulled a scroll across the table and took up a pen, preparing to write. “I’m accepting the request for a summit to be hosted here, and in my invite to the Kazekage, I’m going to request his family attend. There is one thing about Naruto we never got the chance to really observe, and that’s his friendship with Gaara.”

Kakashi thought about Naruto, hunched over a bridge, looking tortured and haunted and far, far too old for his age.

Whether they learned anything by letting him see Gaara again or not, he found himself supporting the idea. Whatever made the kid so scared of seemingly nothing...He needed someone to be there for him, and Kakashi was too broken to even try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the boys are gon be able to sPEAK and HUG and INTERACT  
> also guess what??? ships. ships are what.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is a 3633 word dissertation on how gay gaara is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lemme take a sec here and say I love the feedback I've been getting on this fic, it fuels me and makes me so damn happy and I'm so glad I can be entertaining to someone!  
> That little sappy message out of the way, here's some more self indulgent fluff with a sprinkle of plot in the center

“Gaara, if you keep smiling, people are going to think you’ve lost it.”

Gaara ignored his brother completely, continuing to scan the area for the faintest hint of orange, despite the fact they were still about an hour out from Konoha. 

“Let him have this,” Temari said. “I’ve only ever seen him get this excited about two things, and those are manju and Naruto Uzumaki.”

“That is a lie,” Gaara said. “I do not get this excited about sweets.”

“Not  _ sweets,  _ no,” Temari allowed. “But manju? I think you vaulted the table the other day to beat Kankuro to the last one.”

“The last of any dish is a prize to be competed for.” Gaara looked at her, face teasingly serious. “If I let him have it every time, he’ll stop appreciating it.”

“Kankuro would appreciate dog food, if you gave it to him.”

Gaara tipped his head, considering.

“Please don’t,” Kankuro whined. “I like people food, thanks.” 

“Gaara!”

“Here we go,” Temari sighed, as Gaara shot off in a flash, chasing after the call of his name. There was only one person that could be, and they all knew it.

“I take it that would be Naruto?” Rasa asked, from between the two of his children remaining. “I doubt Gaara would abandon the pretense of guarding me for just anyone.”

“I know we try not to joke about Gaara and murder,” Kankuro said, “But I’m pretty sure he’d slit your throat for Naruto.”

“I bet he’d give Naruto the last manju.”

Kankuro blinked. “Oh, shit, you’re right. That’s way better. Why did I go dark?” 

The two siblings took to arguing semantics over the easiest metaphor to show Gaara’s undying love for the Konoha genin, while Rasa slowed to fall back to his  _ actual  _ guards. Walking with his children had been nice, but he was about to be in what was barely above enemy territory, and he should at least  _ look  _ like he was being escorted properly. Two bickering teens did not appear a solid guard, even if both of them could probably take down an S-ranked shinobi with one hand if they needed to.

...Well, Temari could. Kankuro needed both his hands for his puppets, usually. 

_ Dear heavens,  _ Rasa realized, marvelling at his own internal monologue.  _ They’ve rubbed off on me. _

  
  
  


Sasuke looked up when Naruto stood suddenly, abandoning their search for a lost cat in the woods to call out a name he was about damn sick of hearing.

A second later, a blur of red streaked past, and slammed full-force into Naruto. He and Sakura both had kunai out before the shape of Gaara of Suna finally registered, enveloping Naruto in a tight hug.

“You got taller!” Naruto cried, happily. “We’re almost the same height, now!”

“It’s because ramen stunts your growth.”

“You take that back!” Naruto twisted, taking the redhead into a headlock and rubbing his knuckles into his scalp. “I’ll have you know I have grown  _ three inches  _ since last year, and if that’s stunted then I would be a tree without it!”

Sasuke cleared his throat, and Naruto straightened, turning a sheepish grin on his teammates. 

“Guys, this is Gaara,” he introduced, unnecessarily. “Gaara, meet Sasuke and Sakura.”

“Hello,” Sakura greeted. “Naruto talks about you a lot.”

Gaara smiled, slightly, and Sasuke wondered at how weird the kid’s expressions were, so limited in their range. “I talk about him very much as well,” he said. “I believe my sister is sick of him, and they’ve not even properly met.” 

“I met her!” Naruto protested. “During the exams, I met her  _ and  _ your brother.”

“You said hello to them in passing as they threatened me with physical violence,” Gaara corrected. “They were not listening to you.”

Naruto sniffed. “Still counts.” He blinked, then, looking around. “Speaking of which, are they gonna come kick your butt again? You totally abandoned them.” 

Gaara tipped his head, as though listening out, and then looked back to Naruto. “Temari is coming.”

A moment later, Gaara’s elder sister dropped in, holding up the target of Team Kakashi’s search-and-rescue mission. “Look, little brother,” she said, a wicked grin on her face. “I found a  _ cat.”  _

Sasuke wondered what about that statement made the redhaired boy blanch, and why the exchange had Naruto laughing himself near into hysterics.

Oh, well. At least they could finally be done with their ‘mission.’ 

  
  
  
  


Temari dragged Gaara back to the Suna escort team, and Naruto tagged along right beside them, which meant that Sasuke and Sakura went as well, which meant  _ Kakashi  _ had to go with them.

As he approached the visiting ninja, he noticed two strong chakra presences among the crowd, and blinked in shock as he recognized the Honored Siblings of Suna, Ebizo and Chiyo. 

“Well, this is a surprise,” he drawled, keeping his voice light even as unease pulled at him. “What are some of Suna’s finest doing out of their village?”

“I didn’t spend my life as a ninja just to roll over and die in the sand,” Chiyo snapped. “The Mizukage is an unknown with a history of leaving blood trails behind him. Everyone capable of taking on a jinchuuriki needs to be at hand. We’re not going to be the only heavy hitters here, mark my words, Copy-Nin.”

Sasuke and Sakura both looked to him, confused at the nickname, and Kakashi wasn’t even surprised when Naruto blew right past it and latched onto another part of the conversation entirely. “You are here in case you need to fight a jinchuuriki, old lady?”

Chiyo turned a furious glare to the kid, looking a split second from murder, but her brother spoke up instead. 

“Chiyo is a seal master with experience tending to the seals of jinchuuriki,” Ebizo informed Naruto, voice flat and matter-of-fact. “She is not being brought as a fighter, but as a resource. If the Mizukage lets his bijuu run loose, Chiyo is equipped to re-seal it. She can also seal his chakra preemptively, if it looks like he might try something. The odds of an attack are minimal, considering how unreasonable it would be, but madmen pay little thought to reason.” 

Naruto tipped his head to the side, and Kakashi fought the urge to duck down and grab him to keep his mouth shut. That look on his face always seemed to end in him saying something spectacularly stupid. 

“Did you do Gaara’s seal?”

Everyone froze.

Kakashi looked to Naruto in horror, because they all suspected Gaara was a jinchuuriki, but Naruto wasn’t supposed to just  _ say  _ it. And so confidently, too, as though he’d seen the seal personally. Which, given their closeness, he may have. 

If Naruto knew Gaara had a seal, did he know about his own? Did he know what they both housed?

“You shouldn’t know about his seal,” Chiyo said. “It’s a private matter.”

“It’s  _ broken,”  _ Naruto argued. 

Chiyo straightened, eyes wide. “It’s  _ what?”  _

Everyone looked to Naruto for explanation, who in turn looked to Gaara.

Gaara sighed, lifting his shirt to expose his stomach, showing off the curving lines of his seal. 

Naruto reached out a hand, and Kakashi moved to grab it, holding it back, because Naruto had  _ coated it  _ in chakra. “Don’t,” he warned. “Your chakra is strong, it could break the seal.”

Naruto pulled his hand away, harshly, leaving Kakashi stunned. “It’s already broken!” He reached out, chakra illuminating the black lines, and released a pulse of chakra straight into the outer ring.

The gathered shinobi watched, horrified, as the chakra circled through a single symbol of the seal, before dissolving into the skin around it. 

Kakashi wasn’t sure what that  _ meant,  _ far from a seal master, but Chiyo seemed distraught.

“It’s disconnected,” she said, explaining what was happening. “Any chakra that touches that seal should be distributed among the entirety of it, but each part is working alone. The demon isn’t sealed away completely - he is in a cage, but the bars have wide enough spaces he could get through with enough effort.” She looked to Gaara. “How long have you been fighting him? How much of your control is won through struggle?”

“Shukaku can be reasoned with, if you try,” Gaara said, ignoring the harsh inhales around him. “He is blinded by the seal, and can’t tell what is happening unless I tell him or choose to let him see. By letting him through in parts, I stop him from needing to break out. We work together well, and will keep doing so for as long as he is within me.”

“Gaara,” Rasa called. “You knew about the Ichibi - what he was, how he was affecting you - and you simply shouldered that burden alone? You didn’t ask for help?”

“...He did.” 

Everyone turned to Temari, and Kankuro beside her by extension, at her quiet addition.

“He asked for help years ago,” she said. “He told me he wanted to fix the seal so that Shukaku could see and help him out completely, so they’d be a team. Kankuro and I help him train. He’s good, and Shukaku never even tries to break out, not even when Gaara sleeps.”

Rasa straightened, looking to his gathered group. “We have a secondary mission. While I attend the Kage summit, Chiyo, I need you to look into fixing Gaara’s seal. Follow his specifications - if he has managed to control the Ichibi alone, he likely knows it better than any of us.” He looked down to Naruto, then, giving him a solemn nod. “Not many would speak so openly of Gaara’s seal, not even to save his life. You have done me a great service.”

Naruto sniffed. ”I didn’t do it for  _ you _ , weirdo. Gaara’s my friend.”

Kakashi was going to murder this kid, he swore it.

Judging by the looks on all the faces around him, Gaara was the only one  _ not  _ thinking along those lines. 

Gaara was laughing, instead, though, and the noise was so startling Naruto would probably get away with his smartassery. 

At least for another day - which, really, seemed to be Naruto’s preferred way of living life. One day of reprieve at a time, constantly pushing off a backlash that would eventually wreck him.

Maybe Kakashi was reading too much into it. The main point was, Naruto was a  _ shit  _ and Kakashi deserved S-rank pay for every D-rank milk run he guided that brat through. 

He should’ve just stayed with the Anbu. Hunter-nin would be a kinder end than whatever came out of Naruto’s mouth. 

  
  
  
  


“Say, Gaara,” Naruto said, hanging down from the tree branch he’d perched on in the training field. “You skipped the Academy, right? You need to meet some people. I can show you around, and you can make more friends, so you’re not lonely.”

Sasuke wondered how Naruto could ever think someone with  _ him  _ for a friend would need  _ more  _ company. If anything, Naruto was enough to exhaust someone right out of socialization. He was surprised Gaara had energy to speak to anyone after a conversation with Naruto - but, then again, Gaara seemed to listen more than talk. As evidenced by the fact that he’d said practically nothing when Naruto declared it time for a break from ‘stuffy old shinobi’ and dragged both sets of genin to the training field with him.

Sasuke didn’t mind, terribly, taking the time to practice chakra control (he could  _ almost  _ manage tree-walking, if he focused) while Sakura bothered Temari for explanations of her fans and jutsus. Kankuro had simply laid out under a tree and promptly fallen asleep, Gaara settling in next to him in a peaceful meditative position while Naruto climbed all over the tree above him like a monkey. 

Hanging down like he was, Naruto’s face was rather close to Gaara, looking at him sideways and upside-down. 

One day, Sasuke was going to learn how the kid did that so often without getting dizzy.  _ One day.  _

“Everyone I speak to regularly is either related to me,” Gaara said, “Or you. If you want me to make friends outside of my family, that is fine, but I will likely not be good at it. I’m not...sociable.”

“Aw,” Temari cooed. “He called you family.”

Naruto grinned, and then jumped as a senbon needle stuck into the tree branch next to where he was hanging from. 

“Whoops,” Sasuke said, voice dry. “I missed.”

The target for senbon was on the other side of the training field. Either Naruto didn’t notice, or didn’t care, because he didn’t call it out - which, honestly, was even  _ more  _ irritating. 

“I know,” Naruto said, looking back to Gaara as though nothing had happened at all. “Let’s go by the Academy. It’s probably about lunchtime, right? Everyone will be in the yard. I can say hello to Iruka-sensei and Suzume-sensei and you can meet people and it will be  _ fun.”  _ He hopped down, grabbing Gaara by the wrist and dragging him up. “Come on, let’s go now!”

Gaara let himself be dragged, nudging Kankuro with a foot to wake him up before following after his friend.

“Naruto, wait, we can’t just-...” Sasuke huffed, stopping his argument mid-sentence, as Naruto and Gaara vanished again.

“Your teammate really likes kidnapping my brother,” Temari told him. “One of these days, he’s not gonna give him back.”

“I’ll send him home,” Sasuke snapped, before wincing, because a threat was probably not going to be well received by the sister of a jinchuuriki and the daughter of a Kage. 

To his surprise, Temari laughed. “Please do. As much as I like Naruto, Kankuro would probably starve to death without Gaara, and I kind of need both of those shitheads around. For a three-man team, if nothing else.”

Kankuro yawned, then, sitting up. “What happened? What’d I miss?” He looked around, blinking sleepily. “...Where’s Gaara?” He caught Temari’s amused stare, and sighed. “Oh. Right. Konoha.” He settled back against his tree. “Wake me up in time for their wedding. I call best man.”

The senbon in Sasuke’s hand  _ snapped.  _

“Impressive,” Temari said. “Those things are stronger than they look.”

“So am I,” Sasuke replied, haughtily. 

“Sure you are, champ,” she said, reaching out to pat his head. “Kankuro could probably teach you about poisons for those, if you asked.”

Sasuke hesitated. As much as he really wanted to chase after the other two…

“Could he really?”

Sometimes, sacrifices needed to be made. After all, he still needed to get  _ better  _ than Naruto. 

  
  
  
  


Gaara froze mid-step at the edge of the field just behind the Academy, staring across it at the gathered youth.

“I don’t like this,” he said quietly, looking to Naruto. “There’s too  _ many.”  _

“Eh, they’re fine,” Naruto said. “No one really comes near me, so we should be good for space.”

Gaara frowned. “Now I  _ really  _ don’t like this.”

Naruto swung an arm around his shoulders, dragging him forward. “It’s fine! Look, I’ll show you everyone you already know, okay? Let’s see...Uh, there’s Shikamaru! He’s with Choji, and I think they might be watching clouds, but they might also be asleep. It’s hard to tell with them. Kiba’s over there but he’s hard to recognize without Akamaru. I think he’s been born already, but he’s still really small, so Kiba doesn’t have him around all the time. Who else, who else… There’s Ino? She’s been really sour since Sakura graduated, I heard, but they’re still sort of friends. Not like before, but...close. Oh, hey, here’s somebody!” He dragged Gaara forward, heading over to a group of three that stood together. “Hey guys, meet Gaara! Gaara, this is Shino, and Neji, and this is Hinata.”

“H-hi, Naruto,” Hinata greeted, softly. “What are you doing here? Did you need something from the school?”

“Nah, I’m just showing Gaara around!” Naruto said. “He’s always such a hermit, I’m making him be friendly, y’know? Maybe…”

Naruto kept talking, but Gaara stopped hearing him, because he  _ recognized  _ that person off to the side. Sitting alone, on the ground under a tree, legs folded under him and head bowed in a quiet sort of loneliness. 

“Naruto,” Gaara cut in, voice quiet but urgent. 

“What?” Naruto looked at him immediately, alert. “What’s...oh.” He followed Gaara’s gaze to the side. A moment later, he raised his voice back up to its usual loud volume, making a show of his introduction. “That’s Rock Lee! He has really intense eyebrows and is kind of crap at jutsu, but his taijutsu is good, which is always impressive to me because mine  _ sucks.”  _

Gaara watched the shoulders of the boy beneath the tree twitch, curling in further. 

He was listening. While Naruto had been his usual level of harshly complimentary, Lee had likely stuck on the negative points. 

“My taijutsu is also bad,” Gaara said, softly. “Give me a moment.”

He crossed the training field, kneeling before the other boy.

Up close, he could see Lee’s features more clearly: the same thick eyebrows and strong features, only slightly softened with childhood. His hair was long and pulled back into a braid, his hair softer and curlier than the greased-down bowlcut he’d donned later in life. 

He was... _ cute _ . He reminded Gaara of a small animal or a delicate plant, with his soft edges and gentle aura. 

“Hello,” Gaara greeted. “My friend is very loud, so I’m sure you heard him, but he says you are good with taijutsu.”

Lee looked up at him, wide eyes gleaming, stunned. “He...did. I am really bad at ninjutsu and genjutsu, though. I cannot do either at all, actually.”

“I can’t do genjutsu very well,” Gaara confided. “I definitely can’t  _ cast  _ one, even if I can break them. And my taijutsu is almost nonexistent, because I don’t like to be touched, so I avoid fighting physically.” 

“You do not like being  _ touched _ ?” Lee seemed bewildered. “But...what about hugs? Do you not like those?”    
“I hug Naruto,” Gaara said. “And my siblings. But I don’t like touching people I don’t already care about.”

Lee straightened, holding out a hand. “My name is Rock Lee, and I am going to be a respectable ninja one day, even without ninjutsu or genjutsu. Just like you are good at ninjutsu, I will be the best at taijutsu, and no one can say I did not earn the right to be called a Konoha shinobi. And more than that, Mr. Suna-nin, I want to be respectable enough that you would be okay with me being around you, as the first person to ever treat me like everyone else!”

Gaara smiled, and took his hand, shaking it once. “My skin has a layer of sand over it,” he said, turning his other hand over and pulling the grains back to show it. “It keeps it from being so sensitive to touch. It’s why I let Naruto drag me around all the time - it doesn’t feel so intense when it isn’t direct.” He pulled his hand back from Lee’s, and then moved the sand grains, pulling them back to bunch into a loose band around his wrist, before reaching back and shaking Lee’s hand again with a bare palm. “If I was the first person to touch your heart, you can be the first to touch my skin.” He already had been, in a past life - a distant memory of a too-fast-to-see kick cracking straight through his sand barrier was all too sharp for him. “You’re going to be great one day, I think, Rock Lee.”

As he pulled away and went to stand, Lee darted a hand out, catching his sleeve. “What is your name, Suna-nin?”

“It’s Gaara.” He smiled at Lee again. “If you ever forget, you can ask Naruto, but I wouldn’t do that for any other names - he’s awful with them.”

“No need to worry, Gaara-san,” Lee told him. “I do not think I will  _ ever  _ forget you.”

  
  
  
  


“So Gaara has a boyfriend now,” Naruto announced, dropping back into the training field. “With  _ super intense  _ eyebrows. Hey, if they had a baby, do you think he’d have normal eyebrows? Since you don’t have any and Lee has double ones?”

“Naruto,” Gaara sighed. “If you are going to make that joke, please make it  _ once  _ and be done with it.” To his siblings, he explained, “He has been repeating things like this since we left the Academy. He’s cycling back through his favorites now he has someone around to actually laugh.”

“I’m lost,” Kankuro said. “Is your boyfriend talking about you getting a boyfriend?”

Gaara slumped down against a tree. “This is hopeless. I can’t talk to any of you.”

“His name is Lee and Gaara  _ likes  _ him,” Naruto insisted. “They shook hands. Actually shook  _ hands,  _ cause Gaara peeled his sand back and everything.”

Gaara bit down on the inside of his cheek to keep from flushing when his siblings turned incredulous looks on him. “He was very nice to me.”

“Wait until I tell you about his ponytail,” Naruto teased to Temari. 

“Sasuke, Sakura,” Gaara said to the two, who were watching him as though he were a circus animal. “In the interest of fairness, I’m going to warn you now that you should begin a search for a third teammate. I’m afraid your current one may not survive this week.”

“Ask Lee to join!” Naruto told them. “That way Gaara can keep loving Team Kakashi.”

He took off almost immediately after the last word, just in time for Gaara to lunge after him, growling out an indistinguishable threat.

“...I don’t know what just happened,” Kankuro said, after a pause. “So I’m gonna pretend I missed that, and keep working on poisons. Sasuke?”

Sasuke nodded a solemn agreement, and soon all four genin left in the training field were back to work, very deliberately ignoring the sounds of jinchuuriki wrestling in the woods around them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter had what was the first in a long line of scenes labeled Sasuke Is A Petty Gay


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is...almost entirely plot??? what?? who am i??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the only chapter I've written so far where every single thing is written in the exact same scene, and it's almost 100% plot. In other words, it's like a whole different fic.  
> Don't worry, though, I kept my Typical Anime Fanfic pacing, where there is a whole lot of comedic relief in between serious lines.

The next time anyone approached Kakashi and even semi-seriously suggested  _ Let’s spy on Naruto!  _ as a course of action, he was going to laugh in their face.

Or stab them. Or himself.

Or all three.

He shifted on the branch of the tree outside Naruto’s house, squinting at the open window he could see light spilling out of, despite the fact that it was the middle of the night.

It was a new moon, and just like clockwork, Naruto had clicked on every light he had the second the sky started to dim. 

Ever since Naruto’s panic at the bridge, Kakashi had developed a theory, and checking through logs of years of Anbu patrols confirmed it.

The nights of Naruto’s insomnia, when he stayed up all night long without fail, were closely tied to two events: the new moon, and the full moon.

When the moon was high and bright, Naruto stayed out of his apartment, wandering the streets and watching people. On nights like tonight, though, when light was sparse, Naruto seemed to want to find a way to replace it all on his own, filling his apartment with it and opening windows and doors until it spilled out.

Bugs hovered around every opening, and Naruto was no doubt overrun with them whenever he created this makeshift beacon, but he never seemed bothered.

Every few minutes, Kakashi saw the kid pass by the window, and what he saw shook him to the core.

Naruto, a child who seemed undaunted by everything, who laughed in the face of power and insulted a Kage and toyed with a jinchuuriki’s seal like it was nothing, looked  _ harrowed.  _ It was like the panic on the bridge multiplied by a thousand. He didn’t even seem to know where he was, sometimes: he’d stop and stare out the window with a distant wonder, as though he’d forgotten there was a world out there at all. 

Kakashi didn’t know why, but for some reason, Naruto Uzumaki was scared to death of the night. Not the dark - he was unbothered by shadows and closed spaces - but the  _ night,  _ deep and sprawling. 

He shaped his fingers into a sign for one of his many copied jutsus: a technique that funneled sound through air, allowing him to hear at a distance. 

Kakashi straightened as he did, because he heard  _ two  _ voices. Naruto’s, soft and shaky, and another, calm and composed.

Gaara. 

Naruto had brought his friend home with him, rather than sending him to the inn to be with his own family. It was quite possible Gaara had even snuck out.

The conversation, though, was nonsensical to Kakashi. 

“It ends,” Naruto was saying. “It always hits morning, and the sun comes out, and it’s  _ fine,  _ but it’s  _ not  _ because  _ it happened.”  _

“Not yet,” Gaara replied. “They won’t be able to do anything to us, Naruto. Surprise was their advantage, and they’ve lost it. We know everything. We know more than  _ they  _ do, even.”

Kakashi frowned. Who was  _ they?  _ What did these two know? What the  _ hell  _ was happening?

“I know,” Naruto said. “They’re already gonna be weaker, right now. The Uchiha are still alive, Itachi is a normal kid for a while, Shisui’s alive… Konoha is strong. Yagura is free, so Kiri’s good. Your dad will listen to you, so that’s Suna, and we can probably talk B into helping if he comes to the summit.” The casual reference to the Mizukage’s given name and the name of the eight-tails’ jinchuuriki sent ice down his spine, stopping his heart when combined with the way Naruto said  _ the Uchiha are still alive,  _ as though that had been in doubt at some point.

He had been right. Naruto knew something, was up to something, and he had  _ no idea  _ what it could even  _ possibly _ be. 

“That’s all the shadow activity,” Gaara said. “Everything else will be new, or direct. We need to keep an eye out.”

“Danzo has to be stopped,” Naruto said. Kakashi inhaled sharply at the name of the councilman. What did Naruto mean by  _ stopped?  _

“Without the massacre, he will have to find another way to get the Uchiha eyes.” 

Kakashi reeled back, nearly breaking the jutsu. Apparently, according to Gaara, Danzo wanted to kill the Uchiha clan for their Sharingan. That…

Was horrifyingly believable, actually. Danzo had always had a desperate edge to him, a sort of grey morality that said he’d do whatever it took to save his village, even if it meant cutting down every other one along the way. Killing innocents in the name of protecting his people...that was  _ exactly  _ something Danzo would do.

“Shisui knows he’s after them,” Naruto said. “Itachi sort of does. Fugaku is looking into it, because he doesn’t believe me, the old prick.”

“He thinks you are a brat who is trying to boss him around,” Gaara pointed out. “And as far as he knows, that’s right.”

“Nah, he just doesn’t like that Shisui would deck him for me. He absolutely would, y’know. I’ve seen the look on his face, he’s thought about it.”

“I’ve no doubt,” Gaara replied, tone dry. “You have that effect on people.”

“Violent protectiveness?”

“Reckless impulsiveness,” Gaara corrected. 

“Hey, you laugh,” Naruto said. “‘Reckless impulsiveness’ is why you’re here at all.”

“Speaking of which,” Gaara said. “I know for a  _ fact _ that you could redesign this seal if you wanted. You could rework your own if you felt like it. Large seals have never been a problem for you. Why tell Chiyo it was wrong?”

“If she thought it worked, she wouldn’t know it didn’t,” Naruto told his friend. “She might have tried the same seal again. Not everyone can make friends with a tailed beast, y’know. Kurama nearly gutted me when I first talked to him.”

Kurama?

The ice in Kakashi’s veins spread further. Going on context... _ Kurama _ must be the name of the Kyuubi. 

Naruto knew he was a jinchuuriki. He’d talked to his bijuu. He claimed he’d  _ befriended-... _

He snapped back to attention as kunai stuck into the tree around him, and stared forward at the figure of a haggard-looking Naruto, wild eyes darting around the area around his home as he tried to see through the genjutsu.

“ _ Kai _ ,” Naruto muttered, before yelling it. “ _ Kai _ !”

Chakra rippled through the air, so strong the trees moved with the force, and Kakashi’s veil shattered, baring him to the night.

“...Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto muttered, before  _ slumping,  _ looking as though all his energy had drained out with that one name. 

“He heard us,” Gaara said, unnecessarily. “He has a sound amplification jutsu up. I can sense it, now.” 

“You were spying on me,” Naruto muttured. “...Oh. Of course. We’re both jinchuuriki. We can’t be in the same room, right? Or is it just me?” His hands clenched into fists, his head ducking as his shoulders hunched. “Why does no one  _ trust me?  _ I’ve never done anything to hurt the village! I’ve never tried to hurt  _ anyone!  _ All I want is to keep Konoha, and everyone else,  _ safe,  _ and no one…”

Kakashi watched in horror as Naruto dropped to the floor, curling in on himself, body shaking with sobs. 

He’d never thought Naruto would be daunted even slightly by anything he said or did, but this...this had apparently broken the unaffected air the kid wore around him like a mask.

“Naruto…” Gaara breathed, and then turned to Kakashi. Eyes sharp and fierce, a rage burning behind them, he hissed, “Get into the apartment, now. You will want to know what we were talking about, no doubt, and I am not letting you leave thinking ill of Naruto. He is telling the truth: he has only ever acted in the best interest of his village and his people.”

Kakashi didn’t really have much of a choice. Without a word, he climbed in through the window, settling in at Naruto’s table as Gaara went about closing doors and windows, placing down concealing seals, all while Naruto’s shaky breathing fought to even out.

“Shouldn’t you-..?”

“No,” Gaara cut him off. “The best way for me to help Naruto is to keep anyone else from seeing or hearing him like this. I will take care of him once the seals are in place.” He turned cold, flat eyes on Kakashi. “You are seeing a part of him he hates to show. Take a look, Kakashi Hatake. This is the real Naruto Uzumaki, just as the boy you know is, just as the heroic man I remember is. He is hurt, and he is broken, and he’ll tear his own heart out to offer it to someone else without a second thought. And what he just realized is that someone he considers precious, someone he relies on, looked right through all that and saw a  _ threat  _ because of what he holds back.” Gaara slammed the last seal down on the closed and locked door, and approached Kakashi, his own chakra cloaking him with a thick malice that made Kakashi’s skin crawl even from a distance. “Jinchuuriki spend their whole lives being hated and feared because of what  _ other people  _ made of them. I was  _ born  _ with Shukaku. He was a part of me before I took my first breath. Naruto had barely a single second of his own existence. Neither of us asked to be jinchuuriki. The bijuu never asked to be sealed away. But  _ people,  _ greedy and malicious and selfish  _ people,  _ thought it would be best to ruin two lives and make a living weapon out of the shells. And the second we take a step out of that plan, as  _ soon  _ as we try to make something of ourselves, those same people try to make us into villains.” 

“Gaara,” a soft, hoarse voice called, as Naruto approached, resting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Calm down. I’m fine, I promise. Kakashi-sensei has a reason not to trust me - he probably knows I’m hiding something, and just wants to know what it is. I just overreacted, is all.”

Gaara took a long, deep breath, before dropping into another chair at the table. “Alright, then. I’ll let  _ you  _ handle the explanations.”

“Oh, man, that’s a bad idea,” Naruto murmured. “I’ve never made sense in my life.”

“You can say that again,” Kakashi breathed. “What the  _ hell  _ is happening, here?”

Naruto and Gaara looked at each other, before Naruto turned to him, jaw set stern. 

“My name is Naruto Uzumaki,” he said. “I am the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and the Red-Hot Habanero of a kunoichi Kushina Uzumaki. I am the jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed demon fox, Kurama. I’m the student of the Konoha Copy-Nin Kakashi Hatake, and the Legendary Sannin and Perverted Toad Sage Jiraiya.” He balled his hand into a fist, holding it over his heart. “I am, by my own count, twenty years old, even though I only look eight. I’ve lived two lives and I really don’t want any more, so I’m hoping I don’t screw this one up, too.” 

“...You lost me,” Kakashi said. “You’re  _ twenty?”  _

Naruto sighed. “See, Gaara? I told you I’m bad at this!”

Gaara rubbed his temples, looking exasperated. “You’ve already done this before, Naruto,” he said. “Shisui, remember?”

Naruto snapped his fingers. “That’s it! Shisui can help!”   
He was gone in a flash of yellow, and Gaara stared at the empty air behind him in despair.

“That wasn’t what I  _ meant.”  _

  
  
  
  


“Why does it have to be me?!”

Naruto threw his hands in the air, looking at Shisui, bewildered. “Are you seriously not listening to me? I can’t explain things! I’m bad at it! I could kind of do it with you because I only know you now, so talking to you was easy. But I’ve known Kakashi-sensei for  _ years  _ and he doesn’t know me at all! It’s throwing me off, y’know?”

Shisui looked to Kakashi, sitting quietly next to Gaara at the table. It looked almost like a particularly stoic family dinner. 

He sighed, dropping into a seat himself. “Okay, okay, I’ll help.” He leaned forward, toward Kakashi. “Naruto and Gaara performed a massive jutsu to bring them back to two years ago, so they could fix some things that were going wrong in this time. They had to, because ten years from now, more or less, an organization called the Akatsuki tried to take over the world.”

Kakashi looked to Naruto. “This is the  _ better  _ explanation?”

“Shut up,” Naruto said. “Shisui’s doing better than Gaara or me.”

“Stop being spied on and we won’t have to keep doing this,” Gaara pointed out.

Naruto sniffed. “It’s not my fault everyone’s paranoid.”

“It really  _ is.”  _

“Anyway!” Shisui cut in, stopping them before they could bicker further. “There was a plan to cast a genjutsu on the moon, to hypnotise everyone on earth, and create a world without conflicts or lies.”

Kakashi caught up, looking to Naruto again. “You always people-watch on the nights of full moons. You’re looking for signs of genjutsu.”

“It makes me feel better,” Naruto confirmed. “I hate when the moon is gone, though, like tonight - the genjutsu took it out of the sky, and those of us that were left were running for our lives in darkness. The sun never rose, and the moon never came back. Kaguya had destroyed light.”

“Kaguya?” Kakashi questioned. “The leader of the Akatsuki?”

“Not really,” Gaara said, at the same time Naruto answered “Kinda?”

“She’s the one behind it, right now,” Naruto explained. “Eventually it will be working for her. Everyone in the Akatsuki has their own idea of what the organization is for. The only thing  _ all  _ of them agree on is that they need the bijuu.”

Kakashi straightened. “All of them?”

“Yes,” Gaara said. “They have a massive statue hidden away, called the  _ Gedo Mazo _ . It has a tremendous strength to it, and the ability to hold immense chakra beyond the limit of any natural thing.” 

“They want to put the chakra of every tailed beast into it,” Shisui added. “Apparently, if they all get merged back together, they’ll create the Ten-Tails.”

“The leader of the Akatsuki - not Kaguya, but the actual one - wants to make himself the Ten-Tails jinchuuriki.” Naruto looked to Gaara, then, and then back, face tense. “I should...probably tell you about him. Later. After you process all this stuff, y’know?”

...Ominous. Kakashi nodded, once, before prompting them to continue. “Once he is a jinchuuriki, he’ll cast the genjutsu on the moon?”

“Basically, yeah,” Naruto said. “Except the first time, he didn’t do it. He screwed up and we kicked his butt and he surrendered.” 

“I’m sensing a  _ but.”  _

“ _ But,  _ someone  _ else  _ took over and finished it,” he said. “He revived Kaguya, who finished the genjutsu, and then we had to kick  _ her  _ butt as well as everybody else’s.” 

“That didn’t go so well,” Gaara offered. “Naruto and Sasuke, working together-...”

“ _ Sasuke?”  _ Shisui cut in. “Why did no one tell me this?”

Naruto shrugged, and Gaara pressed on. “Working together, they might have been able to defeat her. I may have been able to help if I were present and in top form, but I had been leading the armies in the main battle. It was up to them, since they were the only two strong enough still to fight.”

There was a silence, and Kakashi tentatively prompted, “I take it that didn’t work out.”

“Sasuke died,” Naruto said, voice flat and dead in a way Kakashi had never expected to hear from him. “Kaguya tore him to pieces. She would have killed me, but...I ran.” He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his hands into fists. “Dammit, I  _ ran.  _ Gaara and I evacuated all the shinobi who’d resisted the dream and we  _ ran like hell,  _ and kept running until there was nowhere left to  _ go.”  _

“So we went back,” Gaara finished. “There was nothing ahead, so we looked behind us. And behind us, there was a chance to fix it before it was broken at all.” 

“Well, it was a little broken,” Naruto offered. “The Akatsuki - well, not the  _ whole  _ Akatsuki, but the one who would eventually be the sort-of-not-really leader, under Kaguya - he was the one who made Kurama attack the village. Oh! Kurama is the Kyuubi, by the way. ...He says I need to stop giving his name out, but I don’t think he actually minds that much, because he isn’t yelling or anything.” 

Kakashi let out a long, slow breath. “This is...a lot.”

“It gets worse,” Shisui said, voice light with false cheer. “They were trying to manipulate Danzo, to get  _ him  _ to manipulate the  _ Uchiha,  _ until eventually they’d all be slaughtered. Preferably by Itachi.”

Kakashi turned to him sharply in shock. “ _ Itachi?”  _

“They were going to use Sasuke as leverage,” Naruto explained. “Itachi and Sasuke would be the only two Uchiha left in Konoha. Sasuke would grow up thinking his brother was a murderer and swear vengeance, and devote his whole life to getting strong enough to kill him.” Naruto scratched at a temple. “Honestly, his personality wasn’t too different from now, otherwise. Except he has less traumatic memories and wants to kick  _ my  _ ass instead of his brother’s.” 

Kakashi let that one go. It wasn’t worth it, he wasn’t touching it. Let Naruto sort out Sasuke’s situation on his own. 

“Oh, yeah, that reminds me,” Naruto said, looking to Shisui. “Watch Itachi, okay? He got really sick in his teens. I think he survived out of pure spite for a few years, just so Sasuke would be able to kill him first.” 

Shisui sighed. “What a moron. I’ll watch him, don’t worry.” 

Kakashi leaned back in the chair. “Is that it, then? That’s the story?”

“Pretty much.” Naruto rubbed at the back of his neck. “It’s...a lot. And it’s crazy. But I can prove it pretty easily. I know  _ way  _ more than I should, in pretty much everything. Mostly because I didn’t know  _ anything  _ at eight. Seriously.”

Kakashi finally caught on, then. “Two years ago,” he muttured. “When you started suddenly doing well in the Academy - that was when you came back, wasn’t it?”

“Yup!” Naruto confirmed. “About a month or so into classes, I dropped in. The first lesson I went to was on sealing, and I know a lot about seals, so I showed off a little.”

“Your knowledge of Gaara’s seal,” Kakashi filled in. “You’re a seal master?”

Naruto twitched. “Uh, no, not really?”

“Yes, he is,” Gaara countered. “He trained under Jiraiya, as well as independently, and he single-handedly modified his own seal on several occasions, even unlocking it completely. He also invented and designed the seal used to channel our chakra into the time jutsu. A seal that, I should add, was seemingly impossible and roughly the size of the Academy building when completed.”

Naruto flushed. “Eh, yeah, I guess it was pretty cool? I just don’t think I’m an expert in any one thing. I’m more an all-around kind of guy, y’know?”

Kakashi stared at the child - no, _ young man, _ regardless of how he looked - who he’d written off as an arrogant moron. He saw what Gaara had been saying, about what was hidden underneath: an endless cycle of sacrifice, giving himself to others over and over again until there was nothing left, and still reaching in for the next thing to offer. 

“Yeah,” he said, quietly, contemplating the turn of events. “I can see that.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kakashi: what the hell is wrong with this kid i am dying to know  
> naruto: this is what is wrong with me  
> kakashi: i am dying to not know this, please take the information away, i would like to not remember this conversation


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> back to your regularly scheduled shitposting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jinchuuriki party in the hokage's office, bring your bijuu for a good time

The next three days saw the arrival of the rest of the Kage, as well as their escorts. Chiyo had been proven correct: a number of powerful, impressive shinobi were among the crowds. 

Including, Naruto was happy to note, several familiar faces. 

“Who is the girl from Kiri?” Itachi murmured quietly, as they watched the party of the Mizukage finally arrive, the last to do so. “She's not Anbu, but she's too young to be a mercenary. Family?”

Naruto giggled to himself, before murmuring to Itachi, “That's a guy.”

Itachi straightened up, looking alarmed, staring at the distant form of Haku where he hovered near Zabuza’s side. “What?”

Naruto laughed heartily at the expression on Itachi’s face, while Shisui squinted at the party as though trying to discern who was right. 

After a second, Shisui’s eyes spun dark red. “...Impressive chakra. Whoever he is, he's stronger than he looks.”

Naruto nudged his friend. “Stop being a creep. If you're gonna spy on people, do it where you're not staring right at them. You look like a pervert.”

Itachi flushed at the accusation, but Shisui just laughed it off. “I doubt he'd be surprised to find me staring, if he noticed. A face like that, he probably gets followed by a lot of creeps.”

“He is a  _ child,  _ you heathen,” Itachi hissed.

“What? I didn't say it wasn't weird,” Shisui defended. “Just said it probably happens. Old creepy guys are everywhere. Even in Kiri, I'd bet.”

“They don't last long.”

Shisui flinched at the sudden new voice, looking to see a tall man with a face wrapped in bandages staring down at him with a look in his eyes promising bloodshed. 

Naruto was practically rolling with laughter behind him, so Shisui assumed he'd seen the man approach and chose to let it happen. Which meant he was  _ probably  _ safe. 

Probably. 

“Ah, I'd imagine not,” he said, weakly. “You guys have a reputation for solving problems violently.”

“A reputation most ninja share,” the man countered. “If to different levels. You're the Shadow, aren't you? Shisui of the Body Flicker. You're in my bingo book.”

Shisui twitched. Bingo book entries were not really a topic to be discussed, especially not to people who were  _ in them.  _ Still, that meant this man was probably Anbu, or something else of note, and Shisui looked him over for a clue to his identity. 

He didn't have to look far: the giant sword on his back was sort of a giveaway. 

“Zabuza Momochi,” Shisui said. “The Demon of the Bloody Mist. You know, to earn the title 'demon’ in a place called the Bloody Mist, you have to be spectacularly twisted.”

“Flatterer,” Zabuza quipped. 

The boy they'd been discussing flashed up next to Zabuza in an instant, too fast for even Shisui’s eyes to catch. “Zabuza. The Mizukage should not be left unattended.”

“Mei has him,” Zabuza said, shrugging him off. “Don't worry so much, Haku. No one is gonna get the drop on that creep, with or without us.”

Shisui stiffened, because that could be taken as a  _ challenge,  _ and there was a person among them that couldn't resist those. 

Sure enough, when he looked down, Naruto was gone. 

“Aw, shit,” he muttered. “That's gonna be a problem.”

  
  
  


“I'm still pretty sure he's a kid,” Naruto murmured. “He looks twelve.”

_ He’s twenty,  _ Kurama told him.  _ At least that's what Isobu says. Apparently they've been together since the kid was eleven, and the turtle accidentally stunted his growth. _

“Oh,” Naruto said. “I guess that makes sense - turtles grow really slowly, right?”

_ It probably had less to do with Isobu’s nature and more to do with him not knowing how the hell his healing factor works. Shukaku can't work his, so he just keeps Gaara from getting hurt at all. Isobu can't work his, so he just floods Yagura with his chakra nonstop and hopes it fixes any problems. _

Naruto tipped his head, switching to mental conversation only.  _ You're good at healing, though. Why? _

_ I don't like talking to my jinchuuriki,  _ Kurama told him.  _ If I wanted to stay alive, I had to keep them alive, and I sure as hell wasn't gonna help them directly. I learned how to heal them without saying anything.  _

Naruto thought of his long-ago childhood - his actual one, not the redo of the last two years - and all the cuts and scrapes and bruises that persisted, as opposed to any serious injuries that closed themselves within moments. 

Having Kurama’s reasoning for that was pretty illuminating. He'd always just shrugged it off, honestly. 

“At least he can live past twenty-five now, hopefully,” Naruto muttered. “Maybe he’ll look like an adult by then. Oh, Kurama! You could teach the other bijuu how our healing factor works.”

_ Please, by all means, brat,  _ Kurama growled.  _ Keep yelling full volume about tailed beasts. That won't get us murdered or anything. Idiot.  _

“Whoops,” Naruto said, before darting out of his hiding place, leaping up to launch himself through the open window of the Hokage’s office, dropping casually down next to Sarutobi's desk. 

“Hey, old man,” Naruto greeted, ignoring the battle-ready stances of two dozen assorted village Anbu in the room. “You shouldn't leave the window open with this many foreign ninja here. Someone might crawl in.”

“You are the only one willing to break into my office when I'm still in it,” Sarutobi said. Turning to the Kage around him, he introduced, “This is Naruto Uzumaki, a genin of Konoha. He is considered to be a ninjutsu genius among his peers.”

“Hey, I hear you with the  _ ninjutsu  _ bit. You don't think I'm a regular genius! I'm hurt, old man.” Naruto crossed the room with a short body flicker, hopping up to sit on the edge of the Hokage's desk, leaning heavily into the man's space to read the papers scattered across his desk. “So why are all these people here, huh? You gonna tell me? Is it a secret?” He held up his hands. “Don't tell me if it's secret. I'm terrible with secrets. Ask Shisui.”

Sarutobi closed his eyes, letting out a long breath, and Naruto grinned at the clear exasperation. 

Score one for Naruto. 

He looked to the rest of the gathered Kage and guards, and scanned the crowd for who he actually knew.

He knew A, of course, and B stood close behind him, looking overjoyed at Naruto’s casual rebellion. Rasa looked like he was trying  _ not  _ to be amused, and the guard next to him seemed entirely blown away by the events in front of him. 

That must be Gaara’s uncle, then, probably wondering how the hell someone as quiet and reserved as his nephew would end up with a friend like Naruto. 

(Good luck, that's how. Naruto was an  _ awesome  _ friend.)

Pretty much everyone from Kiri, he knew at least by name. Which was saying a lot, because again,  _ terrible  _ with names. 

He probably called chakra ‘chatora’ for a good year, even  _ after  _ graduating the Academy, the first time. At least he didn't have to worry about that mistake this time. 

“Naruto,” Sarutobi said, bringing the attention back to him. “What did you need? These meetings are not for mere genin.”

“I'm more than a genin, y'know,” Naruto countered. “I'm a future hokage, and I need to know when important stuff is going on, y’know?”

Shit, he doubled up on the speech tic. He was more excited than he thought. 

“No matter how much he says 'y’know,’ Hokage says he has to go,” B cut in, suddenly. “If he’s a genius ninja, though, maybe he should see the show.”

Naruto grinned, waving in the direction of the rapping jinchuuriki. “See? This guy gets it.”

B shot him a thumbs up, and Naruto returned it happily. 

And then, of course, he ruined it. 

“Come over here and hang with B! Eight-tails says you're just like me.”

The Kage all blanched as they put the pieces together, that Naruto was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi. Sarutobi looked horrified, and Naruto realized most people thought he didn't know. 

Well, it was a day for spilling secrets, it seemed. Why not?

“My friend is, too,” he said, leaving out names - the last thing he needed was the flak from giving away a secret that wasn't even his. Coming up with a cover story for his drop-in on the fly, he grinned. “Kurama’s been yelling about a bunch of his siblings being in once place, and I wanted to check it out! Shukaku’s the only other one I've met, and he's…”

“He's got one loose in the brain, no need to explain,” B replied easily. “A bijuu’s name is no weak prize, so you're all good in Gyuki’s eyes.”

“Would you stop your goddamn-...Ugh.” A shoved in, waving a hand in Naruto's direction, looking to Sarutobi for answers. “You're okay with this? This brat dropping in because he's a jinchuuriki?”

“The last thing we need are jinchuuriki teaming up,” another smaller dignitary who Naruto didn't know by name spoke up. “Send him away.”

“No. Let him stay.”

Naruto looked as everyone else did to Yagura, who was watching him with a look of deep contemplation. 

“Uzumaki, right?” Yagura asked. “Isobu says I have Kurama to thank for breaking my genjutsu.”

“Him and Shukaku, yeah,” Naruto confirmed. “They're trying to be friends. It's kind of adorable in a really creepy way.”

“What the hell is going on?” A demanded. 

“Oh, shut up,” Onoki drawled, from where the Iwa nin were gathered. “A kid is talking to people like him for the first time in his life. Let the brat have this.”

“Jinchuuriki teaming up can’t end well,” A insisted. “If we let this-...”

“You aren’t  _ letting  _ anything happen, squash-nose,” Yagura snapped. “I’ll talk to whoever I damn well please! I’m the Fourth Mizukage of Kiri, younger than anyone here and stronger, too! I owe this kid a thank you for getting my brain back, and I’m gonna give it to him!”

“Yeah, yeah!” B cheered, pumping a fist in the air. “They wanna keep us from talking at all, so they have weapons that won’t let them fall. The thing about beasts made of chakra and rage, they ain’t too fond of bein’ caged.”

“Hey, now,” Naruto said, nervously rubbing at the back of his neck. “Don’t start saying stuff like you’re gonna get all rebellious or anything, y’know. We should be friends, yeah, but our villages are pretty great, too.” He paused, looking to Yagura. “Uh. I think. People seem to be kind of messed up in yours.”

Yagura twitched. “That’s-..!” He paused, before slumping down. “...Actually, that’s fair.”

There was a shift in the air beside Naruto, and he turned to see Gaara, blinking innocently from the window. 

“Shukaku said we were missing a party,” he said, simply.

Naruto was pretty sure the thud he heard was Sarutobi’s head slamming into his desk in frustration.

Ah, that poor old man. 

  
  
  
  


“So you’re good friends with your bijuu, then?” Yagura asked Naruto, watching him curiously. The jinchuuriki had all four decided to go somewhere where they would hopefully survive longer without driving Kage to violence, and thus had ended up in Naruto’s safest haven: Ichiraku Ramen. 

“Yeah!” Naruto confirmed. “Well, I think we are, anyway. Kurama is really testy, so sometimes I think he likes me and other times he wishes he could survive killing me.” There was a brief pause, before his lips twitched up into a smile. “Okay, he’s saying that the second one is all the time, but don’t listen to him. He’s a lot nicer than he pretends to be.”

Yagura hummed. “Isobu is mild-tempered,” he said. “But he said the other bijuu tended to be hotheaded, and that’s why he wasn’t bothered by me having a short fuse.”

“Shukaku doesn’t have a short fuse,” Gaara offered. “That would imply he has a fuse at all. His temper is more of a match dropped into oil than a ticking bomb.” 

“Comes fast, burns out fast,” Naruto translated. “Kurama’s like a campfire or candle. He burns hot all the time, but as long as you are careful with it, it won’t hurt you.” 

“Old Gyuki’s more like stone,” B chimed in. “Cold and stubborn right down to the bone.”

Yagura leaned in slightly, whispering to Naruto, “Does he  _ always  _ talk like that?”

“It’s rapping,” Naruto informed him. “Some of the verses are better than others.”

Yagura looked like he  _ highly  _ doubted that. 

“We should see about finding the other jinchuuriki,” Gaara suggested. “It would be nice for us all to be able to speak to each other.” 

Naruto tapped his temple. “If they get close to their bijuu, we can! The mental plane of the bijuu is pretty cool. I bet if we ask nicely,  _ our  _ bijuu will go talk to the others and tell them to play nice so we can make friends.”

Gaara’s nose twitched. “I am not repeating what Shukaku just said.”

Naruto stuck his tongue out, looking toward Gaara even though it was clearly intended for his bijuu. 

A bit of sand flung forward, speckling itself into Naruto’s ramen.

Naruto’s outraged cry barely covered Gaara quietly saying to himself, “Your aim is getting better, if nothing else.”

_ It’s like a family,  _ Isobu murmured, in the back of Yagura’s mind.  _ They are like brothers, like we were supposed to be. This was how the Sage wanted us. _

_ Somehow, I doubt he had this in mind,  _ Yagura replied, watching Naruto and Gaara somehow have a four-way argument with only two speaking parties.  _ But...you know, I think I like it.  _

  
  
  


When Naruto awoke to knocking on his window, rather than his door, he didn’t even need to feel for chakra to know who it was.

He headed over to it and slid it open, waving in his visitor. 

“Hey, Kakashi-sensei,” he greeted. “I figured you’d come by at some point.”

“I wanted to ask about the Akatsuki leader,” Kakashi said. “You said you needed to tell me about him, and I can’t stop wondering what that means.”

Naruto shifted his weight between his feet, pursing his lips as he thought of how to explain. 

“You know him,” Naruto began. “You thought he was dead, but he was saved and manipulated into believing that the only way to fix the world was to control it.”

Kakashi stiffened. “...Who is it?”

Naruto let out a long, slow breath. “Obito Uchiha.”

  
  
  


The sun had long since risen by the time Naruto got through explaining the entirety of Obito’s story, and Kakashi looked as though it was taking every bit of effort he could manage not to completely break down. 

“So Madara was manipulating him?” Kakashi asked, when the story was complete. “He wasn’t entirely acting alone?”

“I wouldn’t say that, exactly,” Naruto said. “Obito had his own motivations, and acted for himself a lot.” 

“But what would he possibly want with a world like that?”

Naruto chewed his lip. “He, uh…”

“Naruto,” Kakashi said. “I’m fine. Tell me.”

Naruto sighed. “He wanted a world where death wasn’t necessary. He wanted a world he could share with his friends - with you and Rin.”

“I see,” Kakashi breathed. “I can’t say I blame him.” He leaned back then, giving a false smile under his mask. “Ah, well, I should probably head home. Sasuke will be irritated if he finds out you’re getting special treatment, after all.” 

Naruto waved at his sensei as he left, pretending he didn’t see the tears along the inside of his visible eye. He had no doubt the man was headed to the memorial stone - and, honestly, Naruto could understand. If there were any space in Konoha bearing the names of those he’d lost in another life, he’d be there daily. 

He could sort of understand Kakashi’s pain - he, too, knew what it was like, to look right in the face of someone you’d already lost. 

  
  
  
  


“Hey, Sasuke,” Sakura said, staring at the target across from them on the training field. “Why are we here without Naruto or Kakashi-sensei?”

“Weapons training areas can’t be entered by a single genin alone,” Sasuke told her. “And I couldn’t find Kakashi.”

She frowned. “What about Naruto, then?”

Sasuke scowled. “I don’t need him around when I’m practicing. I need to get better  _ first,  _ and  _ then  _ show him.”

Sakura sighed. “You know he likes you even if you’re not better than him at everything, right?”

“Shut up.” Sasuke threw a kunai, watching it stick in the circle just outside the bullseye. “Damn.”

Sakura ran a hand over her face.  _ Boys,  _ honestly. “Maybe instead of trying to be his rival, you should be his friend.”

Sasuke turned and looked at her like she was the biggest idiot he’d ever met.

“Just a suggestion.” She waved for him to continue, and then picked up a leaf. “I’m gonna work on chakra control. I’m thinking of learning some medical ninjutsu, since you and Naruto don’t know how to do it.”

“I know how,” Sasuke snapped. “I just...don’t.”

“Because your chakra control is awful.”

He dropped his kunai to the ground, spinning around and dropping down to sit in front of her. “Fine. Teach me, then.”

She smiled, handing over a leaf. Sasuke was rude and brash and short-tempered, but maybe if she could get him to sit still and listen for awhile, she could help him get over that. 

At the very least, she could get him to talk about something other than Naruto for a few minutes. The kid really needed a hobby. 

  
  
  


“I think Gaara might be plotting world domination.”

Temari looked at Kankuro, bewildered. “What the hell?”

He nodded into the distance, and she followed his gaze to see her younger brother, side by side with Naruto (of course), walking alongside the  _ freaking Mizukage  _ as well as some guy with a Kumo headband. 

“Oh geez,” she breathed. “He’s gonna get killed.”

As they watched, the Mizukage said something that had Naruto turning around swinging, yelling an unintelligible protest. His arm swung right where Gaara was standing, and the boy simply ducked casually out of the way of it before sidestepping to speak to the dark-skinned man from Kumo instead. 

“I think he’s fine,” Kankuro said. “He seems to fit right in.”

Temari twitched.  _ Yeah,  _ she thought,  _ that’s what I’m worried about.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gaara is immune to naruto punches at this point. you cant be around that kid for an extended period of time and not learn how to duck a flailing arm in 0.2 seconds


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> just when you thought it couldn't get gayer, the fic pulled a yuri on ice episode 10 on your ass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the last chapter was a little short and so is this one, so sorry about that, but to make it up to you this one is Very Gay

“Take him flowers,” Naruto suggested, kicking his feet up to rest in Gaara’s lap. “That’s what you do for girls, right?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Ah, right,” Naruto sighed, leaning back into the grass of the training field. He turned to Sasuke, raising an eyebrow. “Do you have ideas, Sasuke?”

“Why would I?” Sasuke asked, face flushed. “That’s not something I know anything about.”

Naruto groaned. “Why’s Sakura got to be hanging out with Ino today? We need someone who knows about dating boys.”

“Of all the people we know, Naruto,” Gaara said, “you’re the only one who has ever kissed a boy.”

Naruto choked as Sasuke’s eyes swiveled around to him, wide and intense. “You  _ what _ ?” 

“Gaara!” Naruto cried, pulling a leg back to kick at Gaara’s thigh. “Why’d you have to bring that up? We couldn’t let that one go?”

“ _ Who?”  _ Sasuke asked, incredulous. “No one in our grade talked to you, before you transferred out, and everyone you were in class with was older than you by four whole years!”

Naruto twitched. “It doesn’t matter, so stop asking, y’know?! It wasn’t on purpose!”

“How do you kiss someone on  _ accident?”  _

“Really badly, that’s how!” Naruto yelled. 

Gaara contemplated how to best go about translating the question of  _ what about that time you got drunk and talked about it for an hour and a half  _ to an eight year old version of his friend, but ended up just giving up on it. Too much effort, really, and Naruto was already probably going to pummel him for backing him into a corner. 

Honestly, though, Naruto deserved it. He’d been harassing Gaara about Lee for most of the afternoon, while the two sat in the training field. Sasuke had dragged them there to show them some trick he’d learned for throwing kunai, and Naruto had spent the past few hours going back and forth between offering enthusiastic commentary on Sasuke’s training and making unhelpful suggestions about Gaara’s nonexistent romantic life.

(“I am eight,” he kept reminding Naruto. “Please let me at least reach teens before you mock me on this.”)

Now, though, he’d thoroughly distracted his friend, and he let his eyes fall shut as he relaxed to the familiar sound of intense bickering. 

Granted, he was more used to the voices being Temari and Kankuro, at that point, but it was still a comfort.

…What did that say about him, that he was  _ soothed  _ by fighting?

_ We’re both missing a few screws in the head,  _ Shukaku offered.  _ It’s fine as long as we’re not trying to murder villages, apparently. At least that seemed to be where you drew the line a couple years ago. _

That...was fair, really. 

“Tell me who it was!”

“Tell me why you  _ care!”  _

“I…! I don’t!”

“Good, then stop asking!”

Gaara smiled to himself, holding back a laugh at the exchange.

Maybe, if he was lucky, he’d expedite Naruto’s realization that Sasuke was absolutely gone on him. 

If not, he'd probably welcome death by Naruto. It would be less painful than watching the Uchiha boy suffer. 

  
  
  
  


“Gaara.”

The three boys on the field looked up at the call, watching Chiyo as she approached. 

“Ah,” Gaara said, standing. “It's time, then?”

“Awesome!” Naruto hopped up as well. “I've been looking forward to fixing this thing, y’know.” 

“Who invited you along, brat?” Chiyo snapped. 

“I did.” Gaara crossed his arms, frowning up at the old woman. “Naruto is young but incredible with seals. Two seal masters over me is better than one. And, anyway, Naruto has the ability to repress my chakra if something goes wrong.”

Chiyo scowled. “I can do it on my own fine. But if you want this brat there to hold your hand, I'm not going to fight him. I don't have the damn time. But he is  _ not _ touching your seal, got it?”

“Got it!” Naruto chimed in, keeping Gaara from responding with something rude. She was about to be elbow-deep in his chakra system, after all. 

“C'mon, then. We’re heading into the woods. I want to be as far from people as possible when I mess with the sand demon.”

Naruto frowned, looking to Gaara. “Does she mean you or Shukaku?” 

Gaara shrugged. “I really can't tell.”

  
  
  
  


“Sasuke-san!” 

_ Oh, no,  _ Sasuke thought, because he didn’t recognize that voice, but it was  _ male,  _ which meant it was probably someone who wanted to fight him. 

Not that he wasn’t in the mood to fight after his conversation with Naruto! What had Gaara meant, that he’d kissed a boy? Itachi said people weren’t supposed to do stuff like that until  _ at least  _ twelve, even if Shisui always laughed when he heard him say that. 

...What if he laughed because he knew Naruto  _ didn’t?  _ Damn, Naruto was so much more mature than Sasuke, it was so  _ stupid.  _ He had to catch up, but…

He thought of the way he’d seen couple act, holding hands and kissing.

His nose scrunched up.  _ Sounds... gross. _

Oh, well. He’d be better than Naruto on his own.

“Sasuke-san!”

Oh, shit, he’d forgotten about the guy.

He turned to the side to see a boy with a long black ponytail running up to him, before stopping a few feet ahead and ducking into a deep, low bow. Sasuke bit down on his lip to not laugh when the boy’s ponytail didn’t stop with him, instead flying straight ahead to flop over his head, hanging upside-down into his face. 

The boy didn’t even twitch, holding the bow as he spoke. “Sasuke-san! I need to ask a favor of you. I know you are on the same team as Naruto-san, and I cannot find him to speak to him directly.”

Sasuke scowled. The boy calling  _ him  _ by a formal honorific was one thing: he was a clan heir, it happened all the time. But  _ Naruto  _ had no bloodline demanding respect, which meant the boy was doing it entirely out of respect for him  _ personally.  _

How annoying.

“What do you need  _ me  _ to do?” Sasuke asked. “I’m just on a team with him. If you think he listens to me, you’re dead wrong.”

The boy stood up straight, his ponytail dropping back to his shoulders as he did, revealing giant, wide brown eyes. 

Sasuke was instantly reminded of a fish, and then felt a little bad about the comparison. 

“I do not need to speak to Naruto-san, actually.” Before Sasuke could ask what the point of him stopping to talk was, the boy pressed on, almost without a breath of pause. “Naruto-san is friends with Gaara-san, and it is very important to me that I thank Gaara-san properly for his kind words to me earlier! I cannot find him or Naruto-san, so I-...”

“Drop the honorific on Gaara,” Sasuke suggested, nose scrunching back up even worse than it had at the gross couple-y thoughts. “It sounds weird. Nobody calls him that, even his dad’s bodyguards.”

The boy in front of him blinked. “...Bodyguards?”

Oh, great. He didn’t even know who Gaara  _ was  _ and he was falling all over him and Naruto. “Gaara’s the Kazekage’s son, doofus.” 

The kid in front of him looked about one shove shy of passing out, at that. 

“What’s your name?” Sasuke asked, taking pity on him. “I’ll tell Gaara you said thanks.”

“My name is Rock Lee,” the boy introduced. “And if you would, please give him this!” He held out an envelope - a standard civilian one, not a scroll case, and Sasuke reminded himself that this kid wasn’t a genin yet and couldn’t just  _ buy  _ stuff like that. Still, it was weird to look at Gaara’s name written in big block letters on a piece of soft, delicate stationary like the envelope.

The envelope was also pink. With flowers in the corners.

He looked at Lee with a raised eyebrow, watching as he flushed in response. “I am an orphan and do not have the money to purchase stationery for a proper thank you letter. Ino Yamanaka was kind enough to allow me to use some of the supplies from her father’s flower shop.” 

The mental image of Sasuke handing Gaara a pink envelope covered in flowers was funny enough Sasuke was half tempted to believe the whole thing was a prank from Naruto.

The only thing arguing against that, actually, was the desperate edge to Lee’s body language, as though his whole life was going to be determined by whether or not Sasuke agreed to play delivery boy.

He sighed, accepting the envelope. “I’m going to make Sakura hand it to him,” he informed Lee. 

“That is fine!” Lee dropped into another bow. “Thank you very much, Sasuke-san!” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Sasuke muttered as the boy ran off, before moving to put it in his pocket.

...Only to realize that folding it up that small would mean messing up the neat lines of the envelope, which were clearly important to Lee.

He was going to have to carry it openly.

Goddamn it. This was Naruto’s fault, somehow, he was sure.

  
  
  
  


Sitting in the middle of the woods, Naruto sniffed, wondering if the tickle under his nose was an oncoming sneeze or a bug bite. 

Probably the latter, with his luck. He could just picture the team meeting that would follow a day in the woods, with him showing up covered in swollen bug bites and scratches and whatever random injuries he’d probably end up with over the course of Gaara’s seal changing. 

_ He won’t injure you,  _ Kurama told him, voice just stern enough to avoid being called a comfort.  _ He’s too soft for all that.  _

_ Gaara won’t be the one in charge, though. _

_ Idiot,  _ Kurama scoffed.  _ I wasn’t talking about Gaara. _

Naruto laughed to himself, reaching out with a foot to nudge Gaara’s leg, where his friend lay in the grass next to him. “Kurama says-...”

_ I will gut you.  _

“Good luck with the seal, Shukaku.”

_ You brat! That’s not better! _

Gaara watched him with suspiciously narrowed eyes. “Shukaku would like to know what he  _ actually  _ said, but I am not going to ask. If the seal being changed takes away any of his reasoning, I would like him to not already be angry.”

“Fair point,” Naruto murmured. “But riling him up is so  _ fun,  _ though.”

Gaara went to reply, but clicked his jaw back shut as Chiyo returned to their chosen clearing, setting down the basket she’d left to fetch and starting to pull out various medical supplies, as well as sealing ink and brushes. 

“Shirt off,” she ordered. “This is going to be a big one, so I’m going to paint most of it on before I bother unlocking the current one. Saves us time, so the beast isn’t free for long.”

“Please do not provoke him,” Gaara told her, voice calm and low, as though he were an adult speaking to a child, as opposed to the other way around. “I quite like Konoha.”

“Shut up, brat,” she told him. “I’ve been doing this for longer than you, your siblings, and your father have been alive -  _ all put together. _ I know what I’m doing.”

Gaara looked to Naruto, who nodded silently behind Chiyo’s back.

They’d made an agreement in her absence: they would trust the seal to her, but if Naruto sensed something wrong, it would be his job to step in. Chiyo did not want him touching the seal, but he could manipulate Gaara’s chakra with his own to make it fit whatever mold she made. 

(He also assured his friend, several times, that if she put a seal on him that was messed up  _ on purpose  _ he’d knock her flat, old lady or not, and then remake the whole thing himself, consequences be damned. It wasn’t like they hadn’t already outed themselves to two elite jounin.)

“Alright, if you’re done trying to be clever.” She selected her brush, wetting the tip with ink and starting to work on drawing smooth, interlocking lines along Gaara’s chest. 

As she drew, the lines of Gaara’s seal reacted to the ink, appearing under the skin like a tattoo. Naruto could see where the disconnects had happened - the seal hadn’t been put directly onto Gaara, but onto his mother’s stomach while she was pregnant. Some of the translations between the outer seal and the inner one - the part that actually ended up  _ on  _ Gaara - were uneven, and the lines had splintered, breaking off into smaller curves and circles contained within themselves.

Once he realized what he was looking at, he had to bite down on the inside of his mouth not to shout, because if they did it on purpose it would be  _ genius.  _ Each type of chakra - every element, every class, every body part - was sealed  _ individually.  _ It wouldn’t stop a user from doing jutsu, or molding chakra, but it would keep them from being able to combine any two chakras. 

Gaara’s jutsus were all dependent on his sand, and this explained why: Gaara’s sand was an outside body, unaffected by the seal. He could manipulate the chakra in it freely, so long as he kept the type consistent throughout. If the sand was wet or the wind was strong or anything else elemental interfered with the jutsu, he’d have trouble.

No wonder the guy hated water. Naruto had always just shrugged it off as more examples of him being very similar to a cat. 

The lines Chiyo added weren’t removing the seals - with Gaara’s chakra having eight years of development with the separations, slamming all those chakras back together would likely seriously hurt him, if not outright kill him. Instead, she linked all the systems, making them function like organs in a body - all producing chakra that would link and go to a single place, where he could use it.

“It needs an anchor,” Naruto murmured, as the thought hit him. “It has to meet somewhere.”

“It’s going to have to be visible,” Chiyo said. “You’ll be able to see it as long as there is chakra passing through it. The look and placement shouldn’t matter too much, so I’ll leave those to you.”

Gaara locked eyes with Naruto, who then looked to the blank space on the edge of his friend’s forehead, where an iconic identifier once sat.

“I know what design,” Gaara said. “Do you have red ink, by chance?”

She did.

  
  
  
  


Despite Chiyo’s fears (and, to a lesser extent, Naruto’s), swapping the seals was actually fairly easy. 

Shukaku’s chakra only gave them problems through its nature - once the base seal blocking it was removed, it tried to burst through the locked systems immediately, which would have ruined the whole thing and hurt Gaara in the process. Luckily, Naruto’s chakra was enough to push Shukaku’s back until the tanuki could get ahold of himself and reign it in. After that, Chiyo simply had to paint in a familiar kanji (muttering about how ridiculous the choice was, but not actually questioning it, which was nice) and activate it, completing the seal.

Immediately afterward, Gaara slumped, letting out a long breath. “I didn’t realize it hurt until it didn’t anymore,” he murmured, sounding awed. “...Shukaku says he can see, too, so that’s good. It’s fixed. I’m…” he cut off, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth as he let out a massive yawn. “Tired. I’m  _ tired,  _ Naruto, but I didn’t even  _ do  _ anything.”

“We sort of reworked your entire chakra system,” Naruto informed him, ignoring Chiyo’s offended exclamation of ‘ _ We?!’  _ “You’re probably gonna need to pass out for a while.”

Gaara sat up, nodding - only to slump over immediately, landing limply against Naruto’s chest. “..Tired.”

Naruto laughed, and stood, scooping his friend up in his arms as he went. “I got ya, buddy, don’t worry. You can nap.”

“Thanks.” Gaara reached a limp hand up, patting one of Naruto’s cheeks softly. “You’re a good friend... _ y’know _ ?”

He then giggled, for about five seconds, and then began softly snoring. 

“Oh my god,” Naruto muttered. “He’s  _ loopy.”  _

_ You should hear Shukaku,  _ Kurama replied, which had Naruto laughing the rest of the way home. 

  
  
  
  


Sakura had been running to talk to Sasuke, who she saw in the distance, when she noticed Naruto approaching and instantly froze, allowing her to witness possibly the greatest standoff of all time. 

Naruto and Sasuke had both halted mid-step, mere feet from each other, eyes locked for a second, before both trailed wide eyes over the other’s body, taking in the situation.

Naruto was holding an unconscious Gaara, who was curled up against Naruto’s neck and, if she wasn’t mistaken,  _ nuzzling  _ into it, like a cuddly cat. 

Sasuke, on the other hand, had an envelope in his hand, bright pink and flowery and bearing a large-print declaration of Gaara’s name. 

Without a word, Sasuke took a last step forward, setting the envelope against Gaara’s sleeping chest before taking off full-speed in the other direction. 

Naruto stood still for about a minute, up until Gaara made a noise in his sleep that apparently spurned him back into movement, letting him finish the walk back to his own house.

Sakura bit her lip, fighting back a laugh. She couldn’t  _ wait  _ to tell Ino about this one. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the rumor come out: does sasuke uchiha is gay?


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gays, plot, plot, gays, plot, gays... a pattern is forming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some stuff is hinted at in Gaara's inner monologue at the beginning of this chap, and it will be talked about later  
> basically, im warning you ahead of time that the Prime Timeline was super tragic and Naruto has a lot of bad feels left over from it

Gaara woke with his face in someone’s neck, feeling the places where his sand shield built itself up overnight to protect from the direct contact on his chest and arms, as well as were it pulled back from his face to allow the more comfortable touch. 

_ Naruto,  _ his mind supplied. After all, he wasn’t that close to anybody else.  _ He must have wanted to sleep in my tent, instead of his own. Wonder if he had that dream again.  _

‘That dream’ referred to the recurring nightmare Naruto tended to have with Sasuke’s death taking place not in Kaguya’s hands, but at his own - or, well,  _ their _ own, since it placed Sasuke on the battlefield Gaara and Naruto had destroyed before making their escape with the shinobi they managed to get free. 

Naruto always sought out Gaara after that nightmare, because Gaara’s presence was the only thing that assured him that it  _ hadn’t  _ been his work that killed Sasuke. Not directly, at least. 

Suddenly, noises registered - a strangled noise caught in someone’s throat, a feminine screech, and a soft laugh. 

At once, Gaara’s memory returned to him, reminding him that the battlefields of the run from Kaguya were long lost to them. He’d been confused, with the absence of the strain of the seal, thinking that he was back to his time without Shukaku. He sat up straight, looking to see who had seen him buried into Naruto’s side.

It was Naruto’s genin team. Of course. Because the universe hated Gaara, and wanted him to have his throat slit by a jealous eight year old. 

“Wha…?” Naruto murmured, shifting, cracking an eye open. “Someone bust the barrier seals?”

So he wasn’t the only one to wake up confused. “Naruto, it’s your genin team,” he said, hoping that would snap Naruto back to the present. “I think you missed a meeting for training.”

“He did,” Kakashi confirmed. “I see now he just overslept, and didn’t get murdered by the many random shinobi in the village. Good to know.” 

“Whoops,” Naruto said, sitting up as well. “Sorry, Kakashi-sensei. Gaara got his seal fixed yesterday and then turned into a human blanket.”

“You could have taken me back to the inn,” Gaara pointed out.

“And leave you at the mercy of your siblings?” Naruto returned. “I’m not  _ evil.”  _

Well, that was fair. Gaara didn’t want to know what Temari or Kankuro would do with him loopy with low chakra like he’d been. Probably store up enough blackmail for the rest of his life to be spent in their service.

Still, at least that would be better than the cold blooded murder that Sasuke’s expression promised awaited him.

Honestly, being friends with Naruto was a full-time occupation. How he ever managed it while being a Kage and an army commander, he’d never know. 

  
  
  
  


“Yagura,” Onoki drawled, when the Mizukage walked into the Hokage’s office at last during their second meeting attempt. “I don’t know who taught you manners, child, but most people stick around for meetings they’ve called.”

“I’m not a child, you old goat! I’m twenty years old!” 

“You could be fifty,” Onoki drawled. “You’re young to me.”

Yagura huffed. “The mountains around this village are young to you, squash-nose.” 

Onoki bristled at the insult, but was interrupted by Sarutobi, cutting in with diplomatic timing. “Yagura, I believe you said your news was urgent. If you are willing, we would have you share it, so that we may prepare whatever defences you implied were necessary.” 

“Right,” Yagura said, straightening. “If you know where your jinchuuriki are,  _ find them.  _ Don’t drag them back kicking and screaming, but keep them safe, if you can.” He reached up, tapping his chest. “My bijuu spoke with some of the others, and I talked to the other jinchuuriki here - I wasn’t targeted randomly. They could have taken over any village, but they chose not mine, because they wanted me anyway. The organization that controlled me is after the power of the tailed beasts.” 

The room fell into tense silence as they took in that information. 

“They need to be locked down,” A said. “No jinchuuriki leaves their village, under any circumstances.”

“Ah, no,” Yagura said. “Not happening. That just makes them sitting ducks.” He looked to Sarutobi. “They need to know what they’re after, so they can defend themselves, and the organization behind this needs to be hunted down and stopped  _ before  _ they become a problem.”

Sarutobi frowned, thinking of what he’d seen: of Naruto’s easy admittance of his own jinchuuriki status, and his casual references to his social isolation; of Yagura’s reputation as a killer while under genjutsu; of Gaara’s fluctuation between stoic silence and happy conversation with the fellow bijuu containers as he learned who was tolerant of his presence and who wasn’t. 

“I think,” he said, speaking carefully, “that they already have.”

  
  
  


“Nine,” Konan said, staring at the members of their organization loitering about their base. “Just one short of our goal.”

Nagato frowned at them, taking inventory of the assortment of skills they had between them. There was power in that room, yes, but they had been set on a number and that number wasn’t yet a reality. There was one more ring in the Akatsuki’s box to give, one more finger to be fitted. “Madara,” he called, looking to the man beside him. “You claimed you were going to bring in another Uchiha.”

“It was a goal,” he replied, his Sharingan eye darting around the room behind his swirled mask. “It didn’t go through quite well. The fires I set burned out on their own, it seemed. I’ll have to use more fuel next time.”

“You told us to hold the tenth position for your pick,” Nagato said. “Well, where are they? We need to move forward.”

Madara’s head tipped to the side slightly, mask hiding the contemplative look on his face - just as it concealed his true identity behind his double-layered deception. “I suppose if you’re desperate, I can put a name forward.”

“Don’t play games, just spit it out.”

“Tobi,” Madara said. “My alias, the character I’ve yet to properly play. Put him in as the tenth member. No one needs to know there’s more to him than what they can see - I can be an ace in the hole, for a last resort.” 

“That could work,” Nagato murmured. “Take the ring, then. I’ll introduce you - or, ‘Tobi’ - to the others later.”

Behind his mask - both physical and metaphorical - Obito smiled.

Finally, he could get something  _ done.  _

  
  
  
  


Kurama gave Naruto no warning before pulling him deep into their personal shared mindspace, dragging him away from a training session with his team and putting up the biggest red flag of behavior Naruto had seen from the fox in either timeline. 

“Matatabi called out,” he told his jinchuuriki the second they were face to face, wasting no time. “Someone’s after her. She has her jinchuuriki hauling ass out of Kumo and toward us.” He paused for a moment, before clarifying, “Well, towards  _ B,  _ but we’re all in one place.” 

“Crap, that’s gotta be Akatsuki,” Naruto said. “They must have realized Yagura was free and started moving up their plans.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Can you tell the others? Definitely Shukaku, Gyuki, and Isobu, but anyone else who you can get ahold of  _ needs _ to know. We’re out of time, we have to act  _ fast.”  _

“You’re telling me,” Kurama said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard Matatabi sound scared before. It’s unsettling. The bitch cat is usually all cold fire and judgement. This was...panic.”

Naruto didn’t get a chance to reply before Kurama shoved him back out, letting him blink back into awareness sitting on the top branch of the tree Sasuke and Sakura were practicing climbing.

Eight year old Sakura didn’t have her older self’s perfect chakra control, but she was getting there fast. 

He sighed, and moved to drop out of the tree and help his teammates. 

He couldn’t do anything to help Kurama as it was. When they had time, he’d go to the shared mental plane of the bijuu, and talk to as many tailed beasts and jinchuuriki as he could find. Until then…

Well, until then, he’d try and teach Sasuke not to blast himself backwards off a tree trunk with so much chakra. 

  
  
  
  


“Kurama,” Son Goku greeted, when the bijuu were all dragged into the mindspace they shared at Kurama’s summons. “You're not usually one for social calls.”

“Oh no, the last thing I want to do is hang out with you lot,” Kurama assured him. “But I also don't really want you to die, and my jinchuuriki is pretty insistent I extend that to your containers, so.”

“You know who is after me,” Matatabi said. “That's why you called us. Right?”

“Right.”

Before Kurama could continue, Shukaku snapped into the mental plane next to him. “Sorry I'm late,” he said. “I would have come earlier, but I didn't want to.”

Kurama sighed. “Remind me to thank Gaara for acting as your common sense.”

“Fuck no.”

“Yeah, that's about what I thought.”

“I see you two are getting along,” Kokuo said, smiling at them. “If you two are friends now, there's hope for all of us.”

Kurama grimaced at the concept of being considered the Ichibi’s  _ friend.  _ “I'm his babysitter,” he corrected. “None of you morons can be trusted with anything on your own.”

Kokuo’s ears twitched, and Kurama could practically  _ see  _ him debating how far he wanted to push that. 

Isobu didn't give him a chance. “Can we tell them now? I'd like to get everyone safe as soon as possible.”

“Please do,” Saiken agreed. “You look nervous, and something that worries  _ you  _ could probably kill me with pure fear.”

“Unless it's emotional intimacy,” Matatabi said. “That fear is just his.”

“Excuse you,” Shukaku said. “Emotions are fucking gross.”

“I stand corrected.”

Kurama huffed. “Alright, you lot, shut the fuck up for a second. Isobu got put under a genjutsu for a while, Matatabi is being trailed by Akatsuki - some weird freaks that love the moon and want to reform ten-tails and revive the Sage’s mom - and my jinchuuriki is actually pretty decent when he's twenty.”

The bijuu stared at him blankly. 

“I think you covered everything,” Shukaku said. “I don't know why they look so lost. It made sense to me.”

“Right, that's how I  _ know _ it was shitty,” Kurama said. “From the beginning, then.”

  
  
  
  


Gaara stared down at the envelope bearing his name, debating if he should open it.

On one hand, Lee had very obviously gone through a significant amount of trouble to write it for him.

On the other…

Honestly, he didn’t want to know what the boy had written. He had done terrible things to an alternate version of Lee, and this one - only nine years old and unburdened by the injuries Gaara would have inflicted on him, only limited by the confines of his own chakra system - didn’t deserve his weight. Not to mention, it was unspeakably unsettling to look at someone who was once so confident and strong and see someone fragile and soft in his place. 

A third, lesser concern of Gaara’s, was...well, the letter was pink. Even though he doubted it was a love letter, it looked like one, and that made him nervous. He was  _ terrible  _ with emotions.

Finally, he sighed, making up his mind and slitting open the envelope. 

_ Now or never,  _ he thought, and started to read. 

 

_ To Gaara-san,  _

_ I wanted to formally thank you for your kind and inspirational words to me. I have decided to take them to heart and make them a vital part of myself, by working as hard as I can to become an excellent ninja using only taijutsu. If I have to train daily until my body breaks, I will do it, in order to become someone worthy of your kindness.  _

_ At the bottom of this letter, I wrote the mailing information for the orphanage where I live. I do not expect you to return a letter to me, but I would ask that you note the address in case you should ever need it, as well as so you can recognize any further letters I send to you. I will not bother you, I promise! I just intend to send you something when I graduate, so that you can know I have found a way to start on my path.  _

_ Thank you again, and may others be as kind to you as you were to me! _

_ Sincerely,  _

_ Rock Lee.  _

  
  
  


_ “Oh my god.” _

Gaara’s head snapped up, eyes locking with his sister's, and he was instantly hyperaware of how he looked. Bright red, fingers clutching a piece of pink and flowery paper, a fresh tattoo on his forehead bearing the kanji for love…

“I-..”

“Don't,” Temari choked out. “I don't want to know. I'm going to walk out of the room, and come back in again, and we're going to pretend this never happened.”

Gaara gave a sharp nod, which Temari missed in her rush to close the door. 

Well. That was awkward.

...At least it wasn't Kankuro. 

  
  
  
  


Naruto felt Kurama’s gentle pull on his mind the second he got home, which was great timing. He instantly activated the barrier seal on his door and flopped down on the couch, letting himself fall back into the tailed beast plane. 

He was greeted with ten sets of eyes when he opened his own, which made him let out a strangled yell. “Don't stare at me like that!” He yelled, looking to Gaara, who sat calmly on top of one of Shukaku’s front feet. “Gaara, they're being creepy.”

“They  _ are, _ technically, monsters.”

Shukaku grinned, as if to say  _ damn right I am,  _ even as the others all seemed appalled at the discription. 

“Alright, brat,” Kurama said. “We told them everything we know, so it's up to you two to go from there.”

“We need to know what we're telling our jinchuuriki,” Matatabi said. “And where we need to be sending them.”

“Yagura is trying to get the villages to go after the Akatsuki,” Gaara said. “So all that leaves is protecting the jinchuuriki until that's taken care of.”

“We need to be near each other,” Naruto said. “We’re stronger together than alone. If your jinchuuriki have people they trust, make sure they stay with them. If not, find them somewhere safe to go. And make sure you train with them - the better you guys work together, the stronger you'll be.”

.” 

Chomei fluttered her wings, nodding enthusiastically. “I’ll work with Fu immediately. She learns fast, and the village is protective of her, so it shouldn’t take too long to get her safe.” 

“I’ll drag Roshi back toward civilization,” Son Goku said. “Which means I’ll need you, Kokuo.”

The horse’s tails flicked as he preened, pleased at the request. “No problem. Han doesn’t need much convincing to keep his head down.”

“A true feat, considering how high that head sits,” Saiken giggled. “Utakata was thinking of heading back to Kiri now that it’s not as bloody, but I can steer him your way instead.”

Naruto nodded. “Yeah, Konoha is probably safer than Kiri anyway. Yagura has a whole lot of cleanup to do before his village isn’t trying to destroy itself.”

“Are you really twenty?” Isobu asked. As each of the bijuu expressed various levels of exasperation at the blunt question, he flicked his tails, hunching in on himself in defense. “What? Don’t tell me nobody else wants to ask. He looks like a kid.”

Matatabi raised an eyebrow at him, and he stuttered, straightening back out.

“In person!” he clarified. “He looks like a kid  _ in person.” _

“I think she was more saying you don’t have room to talk,” Gyuki offered. “Probably because you’ve got your poor container locked in stasis.”

There was a beat of silence, before Isobu asked, “... _ I’m  _ doing that?”

“Be grateful, Naruto,” Kurama muttered to his jinchuuriki. “I’m the only one here worth dealing with.”

“I don’t know,” Naruto said. “Gyuki’s kind of cool, and Matatabi looks  _ awesome,  _ and the rest are pretty nice.”

“He doesn’t mean me, right?” Shukaku cut in. “Because I’m offended.”

“No one thinks you are nice, Shukaku,” Gaara assured him. “You are a twisted creature of malice and death, and we all recognize that.” 

Shukaku swished his tail around, knocking Gaara off his foot using the tip. “Thanks, smartass.” 

“Okay, so!” Naruto called out, clapping his hands together, bringing the attention back to him before things could turn into a nine-way bloodbath between the bijuu. “If everyone knows what’s going on, and what they’re doing, then we should probably get started. Oh! And let Kurama know when your jinchuuriki can come to this place. We need to be able to meet to plan properly, y’know?”

The bijuu all nodded, all looking serious and determined, and Kurama wondered distantly if Naruto realized that they were all looking to him with respect they’d not shown anyone since the Sage that made them. 

Naruto shot them a thumbs up and dropped out of the mental plane, chanting to himself about a ramen dinner, and he figured the answer was  _ probably not.  _

Oh well. Just because Naruto didn’t realize how important he was to people, didn’t negate the fact he was. The tailed beasts and their containers would just have to look out for him until he got a clue.

  
  
  
  


“I’m gonna pummel Ino into the dirt with this,” Sakura declared, holding up a flower crown she’d carefully weaved from the tiny buds that survived the traffic through the training grounds. “It’s gorgeous and I didn’t even have the right kind of flowers for the ones we usually make.”

Sasuke watched her, confused. “...I thought you and Ino were friends?”   
“We are!” she answered, happily, before setting the crown onto her head. “But she’s been trying to beat me at stuff since I graduated, so we’re rivals now, too. I’m gonna show her I’m gonna be the greatest kunoichi ever, all on my own.”

Sasuke blinked. “Oh, you have a crush on her.”

Sakura choked, looking to Sasuke in shock. “ _ What _ ? No! I don’t like her like  _ that _ .”

Sasuke frowned, tipping his head. “But you just said you like her, but you want to be better than her. That’s not a crush?”

“ _ No _ ,” she said. “Who told you what a crush is?”

Sasuke scowled. “Shisui always says I have a crush on Naruto, and I thought that’s what that meant. That you like them, but you wanna crush them. That’s why it’s called that. Right?”

Sakura shook her head, pink hair flailing around her. “No, no, no! A crush is when you  _ like-like  _ someone. Like how married people do.”

“...I don’t get it.”

Sakura sniffed. “If you have a crush on somebody, you want to do stuff like hold their hand and kiss them! Not just beat them at stuff. Ugh,  _ boys.”  _

Sasuke blanched. “But I don’t-...Why would he say that, then?”

Sakura stared at him. “You  _ don’t  _ like Naruto that way?”

Sasuke’s face went red. “N-no! Kissing is  _ gross,  _ Sakura. Why would you want to put your mouth on someone else’s mouth? That’s  _ nasty.”  _

“It’s sweet!” she said. “It means you love them a lot. If you love someone, they’re not nasty.”

Sasuke thought about Naruto for a moment.

No matter how fondly he thought of the other genin, he still recognized that the kid was probably more filth than skin most days.

“I don’t think that’s true,” he said. “I’m pretty sure people are always gross, even if you like them.”

“Well, what do you know?” she muttered. “If you don’t have a crush on Naruto, then you know just as little as I do about it.”

Sasuke frowned, considering things.

Then, he asked, tentatively, “It’s also a crush for holding hands?”

“...Yeah? I think so, anyway.”

Sasuke chewed his lip. “I might still have a crush on Naruto.”

Sakura picked the flower crown off her head, setting it onto Sasuke’s. “Congratulations. I’m gonna go talk to Ino, now. Boys are  _ exhausting _ .” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sakura doesn't get paid enough doing d-ranks to have to put up with sasuke's tsundere bullshit


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the theme for this chapter is 'family'  
> it's also 'the author is a low-key sadist'   
> good luck kids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chap starts off with a hardcore panic attack so warning for that

_ “Three-man special technique: Glass Rain!” _

Naruto sat straight up in bed, his own yell echoing in his ears, visions of a blood-soaked battlefield behind his eyes.

He sighed as he slowly registered the safety of his apartment bedroom, and reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose. The news of the Akatsuki making their move must have made him more anxious than he realized, if he was having  _ that  _ dream again. 

He closed his eyes for a moment, only to snap them back open when that treated him to the image of Sasuke’s face, frozen in death, staring at him with a look of horrified disbelief.

_ You are going to run,  _ those eyes screamed at him.  _ You, who would never back down, are choosing to  _ **_run._ **

Naruto at the time had tried to justify it any way he could - that he was protecting those who were left, that he was trying to find a way to beat Kaguya through cunning, that he already had a plan and just needed time to use it.

The more their numbers dwindled, though, the more the truth had stood out.  _ I was scared,  _ he’d think each morning, waking up to another day of struggle.  _ I was a coward. I ran to save my life, and I keep running because I’m not ready to admit it was useless.  _

The idea had come to mind, in the dead of night when he was sleepless and patrolling his barrier seals, that the only way Kaguya could be truly beaten was if she’d never been summoned in the first place.

Part of why he went to Gaara with the idea was for his friend to talk him out of it. It was stupid - reversing  _ time _ , running to a place where he couldn’t be followed. 

Gaara hadn’t said anything. He’d looked right at Naruto and seen how achingly desperate he was for something to  _ do,  _ a punch to throw instead of just dodging them, and signed right on.

Sometimes, Naruto wondered what happened to the original timeline. He imagined it was probably a separate dimension or something - which ached, because that meant all the people he’d left behind had truly been abandoned.

There were so few of them, and to anyone else that would likely make it easier. Instead, for Naruto, it was much worse: he could remember every name, every face, every story.

The youngest in the group had been fourteen. The oldest, thirty-six. 

All young enough to have a life ahead of them, had things gone differently. 

Naruto laid back in his bed, mind turning the math. He was eighteen when he and Gaara did their jutsu. Four years older than the youngest of their group - which meant, in this timeline, he’d be four years old. 

He wondered if he’d ever stumble across them. If he’d ever look in the face of a toddler and think _ “I left you to die.” _

He didn’t know when he’d started crying, but it was getting hard to breathe. 

The room swam in front of his eyes, and he automatically assumed he’d hyperventilated enough to pass out - only to watch as it morphed into a familiar space that held itself halfway between a sewer and a zoo. 

He sunk to his knees in the water, putting his hands in it, letting the feeling ground him. 

His reflection on the water’s surface was painful to look at, so he closed his eyes. 

“Kit,” Kurama called out to him. “Breathe. Whatever’s got you riled, you can handle it. I’m pretty sure you’d fight the sun if you had a reason.”

_ More like the moon,  _ a dark place in Naruto’s mind countered, and he sucked in a sharp breath, trying to calm himself. 

It wasn’t working.

“Kit, I need you to do me a favor,” Kurama said. “Come to this gate and take my damn seal down.”

Naruto opened his eyes, looking up to Kurama in confusion, but the questions he wanted to ask all caught in his throat.

“I can’t help you back here,” he explained. “And I’d rather you didn’t die of a heart attack when I’m right here, thanks.”

Naruto didn’t even have to think about it. He scrambled to his feet, rushing to the cage, and gripping his seal to yank it down. 

The gates swung open, and Kurama knelt down, nose reaching forward toward Naruto - only to stop, because something else had materialized in the way between them.

Naruto gasped, because he’d forgotten about that part of the seal entirely.

“...Naruto?” Kushina asked, softly, watching him. “Oh, no, honey. I didn’t expect to see you like this. Are you okay?” She paused, before smacking her own forehead with a palm. “Oh, that’s dumb. That was a stupid question, sorry. Of course you aren’t okay, look at you, you look like you’re gonna pass out. I’m-...”

She cut off, because Naruto slammed full force into her, enveloping her in a tight hug. 

She smiled, softly, reaching up to pet his hair. “Hey, kiddo.”

“Oh great, there’s two of you,” Kurama sighed. “Maybe I should have let you kill me off.”

“Shut up, you big oaf!” Kushina yelled up to him. “My son is crying, let me comfort him.”

She paused, then, before looking down at Naruto.

“...Why  _ are  _ you crying?” she asked. “I’d say it was me, but you were crying already.”

Naruto choked on a sob, burying his face deeper into his mom’s shoulder, struggling for words.

Kurama saved him, speaking up, bringing his face forward to rest on his front paws next to Kushina. “He was having a panic attack. I think he’d moved on to happy tears, now, but you never know. That kid is an emotional wreck.”

“You’re one to talk, asshole,” Naruto muttered. “You have, like, three emotions.”

“All negative, yeah?” Kushina asked. When Naruto pulled back from the hug to smile at her, she grinned. “There you go. That’s Minato’s smile, clear as day! Let’s just hope you got my brain behind it, yeah?”

Naruto gave a soft, tired laugh at her  _ yeah _ s, having forgotten her version of their speech tic. “Not so much. Sorry, mom. I’m pretty dumb, most of the time.”

“He’s not lying,” Kurama added. “Every once in awhile he’s a genius, but then he goes and does something like body flicker into a Kage summit or antagonize a bijuu known for being just to the left of completely crazy.” 

Kushina blinked. “There’s...stories there, I’m sure.”

“Not really,” Naruto said. “I’m just really impulsive.”

Kushina laughed. “Well, that makes sense. Both your parents were, too!” She looked to Kurama, then, and then back to Naruto. “Say, is there a reason this old fox is being friendly for once?”

“He’s my friend!” Naruto told her, happily. “Well, kind of. He’s a huge grump, but I think he secretly likes me.”

Kurama sniffed. “How come you can be so confident that  _ I  _ like you, with no evidence, but Sasuke practically falls over himself whenever you’re within a mile of him and you still think he hates you?”

“..Wait, what?”

Kurama groaned, and Kushina started laughing again. “Wow, you two really are friends,” she said. “I never thought I’d see the day the Kyuubi gets along with a human.”

“His name’s Kurama,” Naruto told her. “He’s super awkward with emotions and if you’re nice to him he gets really flustered, but he’s also kind of a mother hen.” 

Kurama flicked his tails. “I’ll eat you, brat.”

“See?” Naruto said. “Flustered.”

Kushina snorted. “I’ll take your word for it.” She pat his head again, grinning at him. “Oh, I’m so happy I get to see you all grown up! I can’t believe it took you this long to get into that seal, though.”

Naruto blinked, before realizing he was in his adult form, due to the mental plane. “Right! I’m, uh, actually eight right now. Physically. This is just what I am mentally.”

Kushina stared blankly at him.

“Okay, so I should probably start at the beginning,” Naruto said. “Maybe I’ll actually make sense this time. Third time’s the charm, y’know?”

  
  
  
  


“And they want to put a genjutsu on the  _ moon?”  _ Kushina asked, incredulous. “Does that even work?”

Naruto shrugged. “It did the first time.”

Kushina let out a long breath. “Wow. You really have a knack for getting into trouble, huh, kiddo? You really are my kid, then.”

“I sure hope so,” Naruto said. “I could do worse than taking after you and dad.”

Kushina smiled at him, eyes slightly wet. “I’m so happy to finally get to see you. I’m sorry you had to go through so much without me or Minato to help you, but you did amazing. I’m so proud of you.”

Naruto smiled brightly through his own happy tears. “Thanks, mom. I’m so glad I get to talk to you here, even just for a little bit. I need to catch you up on all the other stuff in my life!”

Kushina leaned forward, grinning. “Tell me everything! Let’s see, do you eat well? Are you good in school? Oh, well, you must be, you’ve done it twice, huh? Did you have a girlfriend the first time? Are you gonna get one now? Make sure you pick a good girl! Find someone like your mom, yeah? Smart and pretty.”

Naruto flushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I, uh. I eat okay, even if Gaara always says I need to eat healthier stuff. I actually graduated the Academy already, and I’m on the same genin team I was the first time around, ‘cause the other two in it graduated early with me. I didn’t even do it on purpose, they just saw me doing it and wanted to! It was awesome, y’know?” 

Kushina gave him a sly smile. “You’re dodging the last bit, there. Why? Oh, are you embarrassed? I can tell you all about Minato!”

Naruto laughed. “You did the first time, but I’d listen again! I just didn’t have anything to say to it, y’know? I never dated anybody or anything like that. I had a lot of good friends, though.”

“You could tell her about your fanclub,” Kurama suggested. 

“My what?”

Kushina looked enthused, and turned to Kurama eagerly. “What fanclub? What’s going on?”

“Coming back in time with all his old knowledge made everyone start thinking he was some kind of super genius,” Kurama told her. “Which isn’t really that far off from the truth, because this kid can do shit his chakra system really shouldn’t be able to manage. Not to mention he created a  _ time-altering jutsu  _ entirely on his own.” He nudged a blushing Naruto with the tip of one tail. “Anyway, pretty much every kid in the village wants to be him. Or be with him. Or both, if you ask Sasuke.”

Kushina looked to Naruto, eyebrows up and a cheeky grin on her face. “Who is Sasuke?”

Naruto flushed. “He’s a friend! He was my best friend for a while in the first timeline, and he’s on my team in this one again, and I think he actually sort of wants to beat me up most days.”

Kushina looked to Kurama, as though for verification, which was a novelty the fox couldn’t quite get past. 

“I’ve been reliably informed that the first time, they kissed.”

Kushina’s eyes lit up.

“On accident!” Naruto cried out. “Totally on accident!”

“Twice.”

Kushina cackled as Naruto flopped down onto his back, letting the water half-cover his face, leaving only his nose poking out. 

“He’s dramatic,” Kurama told her. “He gets it from Minato.”

Kushina laughed. “It’s better than my temper.”

“Oh, no,” Kurama said. “He has that, too.”

“You poor soul.”

Naruto groaned from his position in the water. His mom and his bijuu getting along was turning out to be  _ really  _ bad for him.

  
  
  


“Ramen?”

“Not without Naruto.”

“Barbeque.”

“Too simple.”

“Soba?” 

“What did I  _ just  _ say?”

Kankuro threw his hands into the air, slumping down onto his bed in the inn where the Kazekage’s family was staying (as opposed to the actual Kazekage, who got a suite near the Hokage’s own rooms, for safety). “I give up. We’ll just have to wait.”

Temari sighed. “What I want to know isn’t  _ what  _ Gaara is cooking, it’s why he felt the need to make something special today.” 

“That’s a good question,” Kankuro allowed. “It feels weirdly like an apology, which makes me nervous, because  _ Gaara apologizing  _ means someone might be dead.”

Temari snorted. “He’d apologize if he did something wrong.”

“Exactly. Gaara? He’s not gonna do something wrong without a reason.” Kankuro pointed to his sister, turning wide eyes on her. “If Gaara’s going bad, he’s going  _ hard.  _ Be prepared to find out he’s started a massive war between Suna and Konoha or something.”

“Naruto lives in Konoha,” she argued. “He wouldn’t start a war with them. Maybe Kumo.” 

“The eight-tails’ jinchuuriki is from there,” Kankuro said. “And the Mizukage runs Kiri. He’d go for someone neutral.”

They both took a moment of silence to contemplate that. 

“Tani,” Temari said. “They’ve got nothing.”

“Too small. Kusa?” 

“Who taught you geography? That’s even  _ smaller.”  _

“Yeah, but they’re diplomats. They have allies. Pissing them off would be pissing off a  _ lot  _ of people.”

“...Fair.”

“Do I want to know why we’re talking about war with Kusa?” Gaara asked, entering the room with a large covered tray of food. Temari bit back a laugh when she saw that he had sand helping him hold it up - the poor kid was way too tiny. 

“We’re trying to figure out who you started a war with,” Kankuro said. “Y’know, since you’re guilt-cooking?”

Gaara blinked. “I’m not guilt-cooking.”

“Uh huh,” Kankura hummed, disbelieving. “Is that pork I’m smelling?”

“Rafute,” Gaara confirmed, setting the tray down on the top of the dresser pressed up near the wall. “The inn was very kind to let me use their kitchen.” 

Kankuro groaned. “You’re going to kill me. I’m going to die from eating nonstop, because my little brother is evil and talented.”

“I’m actually slowly poisoning you,” Gaara deadpanned, lifting the lid off the tray to reveal three carefully arranged dishes of rafute. “I’m sorry to tell you this way, but I couldn’t have so much competition for becoming father’s successor.” 

“That’s fair,” Kankuro said. “If the poison tastes this good, I’m okay with it.” 

“You haven’t even tried it, yet,” Temari pointed out.

Kankuro waved toward the tray. “Do you  _ smell  _ that? I don’t have to.”

Gaara handed them each their food, and then settled on the edge of the bed next to them with his own. 

“So,” Temari asked, since Kankuro was distracted with trying to inhale Gaara’s cooking. “What  _ is  _ this for? You were determined to make something special.”

Gaara took a hesitant bite of his rafute, chewing thoughtfully as he prepared for how to word what he wanted to say.

Finally, he simply looked to his siblings, deciding to just spit it out.

“When father leaves the village to go back to Suna,” he said, “I’m staying here.”

Kankuro choked, looking up at Gaara. “You’re bailing on the village?”

“I’m going to ask father if I can stay, first,” Gaara said. “But I have no intention of listening if he says no.”

Temari stared at him in shock. “You can’t be serious! You want to risk becoming a missing-nin just to stay here? Is this about Naruto?”

“Not entirely,” Gaara said. “But partially, yes.” Before his sister could argue, he held up a hand, stopping her. “The reason the Kage summit was called was because a group of criminals is after the jinchuuriki. Specifically, their bijuu. They want to collect them, which would kill us. We’re safer together, and Konoha is better guarded than Suna, anyway. I’m staying with Naruto, so we can keep an eye on each other. All the jinchuuriki need to be together, at least in pairs, so that it’s harder for them to take us by surprise. Until they’re wiped out, I don’t want any of us to be alone.”

Temari clenched her jaw, eyeing her brother determinedly. “If you’re staying, so am I. I’m not leaving my little brother defenseless.” 

“We can make it a team mission,” Kankuro suggested. “The three of us and Uncle Yashamaru, hanging out in Konoha until we get the chance to kill whatever crazies think they can control nine tailed beasts.”

Gaara watched them, wide-eyed. “You...you’d stay with me? For however long this takes?”

“Gaara,” Temari said. “If you told me today you were packing your bags and running away to Kiri with Yagura, I’d tell you to give me twenty minutes to grab my own shit. We’re  _ family _ . Kankuro and I both love you, and we’re not leaving you on your own.”

Gaara stared at them, and then, to Temari and Kankuro’s horror, he teared up, before launching at them both for a group hug.

“Thank you,” he breathed. “I don’t deserve you two.”

“That’s bullshit,” Kankuro said. “Everyone deserves family.”

And then, because Kankuro was a  _ shit _ , he added, “Especially if they can cook this good. Damn, Gaara, is there more of this?”

  
  
  
  


“Shisui!” Sasuke yelled, and Shisui bit back a curse. An angry eight-year-old usually ended badly for him.

Especially when that eight-year-old had a very protective older brother. And said brother could and  _ would  _ kick his ass if Sasuke gave him reason to.

Shisui sighed. He was going to die, and he didn’t even have a girlfriend. The sad life of an Anbu. 

“What is it, Sasuke?” he asked, turning to watch the kid stomp right up to him.

“You lied to me.”

Shisui blinked, and then racked his brain, trying to figure out what Sasuke meant. Not that he never lied to the kid, just...he usually did it  _ obviously.  _ Like telling him that vegetables awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan or that the koi pond his mom kept was actually full of tiny ravenous sharks.

“You said I had a crush on Naruto!”

Shisui snorted, and then choked down on his laughter at Sasuke’s glare. “Kid, you  _ do.”  _

“I know!” he said, and Shisui almost died. “But you made it sound like it was a rival thing, and it wasn’t! It’s a gross couple thing.”

Shisui was lost. “Uh. I didn’t make it sound like anything on purpose, squirt. I really didn’t even mean to let you hear that. I usually just say it to f-...mess with Itachi.”

_ Don’t swear in front of Itachi’s brother,  _ he yelled at himself.  _ Otherwise you really are gonna get that ass-kicking. _

“Why does that mess with Itachi?” Sasuke asked, looking suddenly as confused as Shisui felt. 

“Because you’re eight years old and Itachi thinks you should be frozen as an innocent child,” Shisui told him. “Having a crush on Naruto means you’re getting older, and that makes Itachi nervous, because being a mother-hen to you is pretty much all he has these days.”

Sasuke frowned. “I don’t get it.”

Shisui sighed, dropping a hand onto Sasuke’s head and ruffling his hair. “Don’t worry about it, squirt. Basically it just means that Itachi’s worried Naruto is going to be a bad influence on you. Or drag you off to get married in Whirlpool Country.”

Sasuke scrunched his nose up. “I can’t get married. Married people have to kiss.”

Shisui couldn’t hold it back, then - he burst out laughing, just resigning himself to his inevitable murder at the hands of his best friend. 

Honestly, Sasuke was so  _ precious. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:)  
> also if you're wondering what the first sentence of this chapter meant, it's a thing that comes later  
> look at me, planning plot ahead of time like a real writer


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i apologize in advance for this chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter has some super graphic descriptions of violence and a ton of hurt feelins so be warned  
> also it's a little short but like...its a Lot

Konan unfolded her hands, watching the origami crane she'd crafted twitch with false life, her chakra coursing through the neatly pressed paper.

She didn't have a message written on it, so the bird wasn't to be sent anywhere, but making things that even appeared to live was a comfort. Beauty and peace could be found in every fold of her delicate paper bird, and some of her anxieties eased at the sight.

She was worried about Nagato. Her friend held the vision of her lost love, but he held it too tightly. He clung to it as his only salvation, and would do anything for it.

Including, it seemed, trusting this man.

Konan looked across the wide main room of their base, watching Tobi bother Deidara to a point the man might actually attempt murder.

'Madara Uchiha,' he'd declared himself. While she had no idea as to whom he might actually be, she was rather confident it wasn't Madara. For one, Tobi’s voice could pass for an older man when speaking normally, but his voice in his Tobi persona was unmistakably young. While extended lifespans were highly possible, especially for a powerful Uchiha, he'd have to have actually reversed his aging by a few good years to hit the mid-twenties sound of Tobi’s speech.

Nagato hadn't seemed to doubt anything, accepting what he was told at face value. Then again, he was likely clinging to the denial to serve his needs. If he had reason to believe he was being manipulated, but thought it would help him reach peace…

She wasn't confident he wouldn't accept it.

The bird in her hands stuttered and then split along its center, tearing as a surge of chakra destabilized the jutsu.

Running the tip of a finger over the tear, she sighed.

Nagato was going to run himself into his grave with willful ignorance, but at least she could make sure he didn't go out alone.

  


Obito watched the twisting rage spread on Deidara’s face with a deep, childish satisfaction.

The fun thing about making Tobi an idiot, is that he knew exactly what to say and do to be written off.

In short? Speak to _everyone_ as though they were Kakashi.

He wondered if his friend would be proud to have spawned such an annoying character.

...Probably not. Rin would find it funny, maybe, but Kakashi had no sense of humor.

_The sound of birds mingles with the scent of blood - one friend’s hand goes straight through the other’s chest, everything you cared for in life shattered in one instant. Rin is dead on the spot, Kakashi as Obito knew and cared for him is lost._

To be fair, Obito was also lost that day. His childhood firmly dissolved, everything he had was given over to Madara, no holds barred.

 _A world with no death,_ he’d been promised. _It wouldn’t be necessary. Neither would war or struggle or famine - you could have true peace, side by side with those you loved._

He dreamt of worlds of many colors, but one thing remained constant: his hands clasped tight in Kakashi’s and Rin’s, the trio of Team Minato together again.

Maybe it was cheap to their memories to go to such measures to achieve it - he’d even killed his own sensei, along the way - but for the chance to be truly happy once more, he’d do anything.

  
  
  


Names lined weathered stone, an endless stream of personal failures disguised as a tribute to fallen heroes.

Kakashi ran his fingers over some of the etchings, choosing names that held no personal significance to him - other than the fact that he knew them by heart, because he looked at this stone near daily. He probably had every name memorized, down to their spellings.

His eyes fell on the one he was there for this particular time, even though he knew it shouldn’t even be there.

_Obito Uchiha._

Knowing his friend, who he’d mourned for so long, was actually alive...It was a blow to the chest that staggered him more than anything physical could.

A bittersweet ache filled him each time he thought about it: his friend was alive, yes, but he was also set on a one-way path to destruction, chasing a goal that could only end in suffering.

Every time he saw Naruto, he remembered. The worst part about that, though, was that Naruto always looked completely understanding.

It occurred to Kakashi, then, that Naruto _would_ understand. Naruto saw people every day that he’d known years in the future. He’d probably seen more ghosts in an hour than Kakashi would in his whole life.

He never seemed worn down by it, though. He never buckled under the weight of his own sorrows.

Kakashi felt a sudden, deep _need_ to know how that was possible.

Turning from the stone without a second look, he started on the path to Naruto’s apartment.

  


“Hey, Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto called, the second his teacher dropped in through the window. Both him and Gaara, who was joining him for breakfast to catch him up on his plans to stay in Konoha, had sensed him coming, and Naruto hadn’t even thought twice before setting out a third plate.

Kakashi entered the room and dropped into the chair by the empty plate, clearly catching the point. “Naruto, Gaara. Good morning.”

Gaara breezed past without a spoken greeting, dropping an omelet onto Kakashi’s plate on his way back to his own chair.

“Ah, thanks.” He looked between the two kids - well, young men, technically - and tried to find the words to start his line of questioning.

“Uh-oh,” Naruto said, looking to Gaara. “That’s his serious face. It usually means I did something _really_ stupid.”

“I thought it was his normal face,” Gaara replied. “Though that explains why it’s on him so often.”

“I walked into that.”

Gaara smiled in amused agreement, before tucking into his omelet.

Naruto looked back to Kakashi, then. “So what did you need? Or did you just want breakfast? I’m warning you, there’s no meat in these at all. Gaara is trying to strongarm me into eating more vegetables.”

“This was more for me,” Gaara corrected. “But getting you at least _somewhat_ well-fed is a bonus.”

“Gaara doesn’t like meat much,” Naruto said to Kakashi, like he was answering a question Kakashi hadn’t actually asked. “And never red meat, unless it’s pre-cooked or covered in something that smells strong. He _hates_ the smell of blood.”

There was a story, there, and Kakashi really didn’t want it.

“That is sort of in line with what I wanted to ask,” Kakashi said.

“I have not killed anyone in the past two years,” Gaara said immediately. “..To my knowledge. The past year I have been attempting to sleep more, and I don’t know for certain if Shukaku is behaving or not.”

Kakashi paled. “That...was _not_ what I was going to ask.”

“...Oh.”

Naruto tipped his head, looking thoughtful. “What was it?”

“How are you two _handling_ this?”

The room fell deathly silent, utensils pausing their scrape against dishes, the breath of all three catching and holding still.

Naruto was the first to break it. “We have to,” he said. “We don’t have a choice. It’s us or nobody - only we know what we do.”

“Shisui and I know,” Kakashi said. “You could delegate.”

“Do you know where the Akatsuki base is?” Naruto asked. “Do you know its layout? Do you know the members by name _and_ face, as well as the stories that got them to where they are? Do you know what drives them? What they’re all fighting for?” He shook his head, blonde hair falling loose into his face, painting a picture of a man resigned to his fate, rather than the eight year old innocent child illusion he usually showed. “No. It has to be us, even if we’re not alone. We know what we’re doing the way no one else could possibly understand. And…” He sighed. “I owe it to them. To everyone I failed the first time.”

“You didn’t _fail,_ Naruto,” Gaara cut in immediately, tone heavy with the tension of an old argument. “Every single shinobi in your care owed every breath they took to your actions, and they were grateful for it. Every second they lived was a gift from you.”

“And what did that get them?” Naruto asked. “I gave them time to think about how they were going to die screaming. At least the ones caught by the Infinite Tsukuyomi didn’t suffer.”

“If never suffering was the goal, Naruto, we’d let them cast it again.” Gaara reached over, grabbing his friend’s hand. “Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be _good,_ Naruto. Our entire group, all of those left, we had each other. We had a sense of belonging and family and hope, and that was worth more than a thousand peaceful nights.”

Naruto sighed. “I guess you’re right. I just...I feel like I screwed up.”

Kakashi watched the exchange, before a question rose in him, spilling from his lips before he could choke it back. “What happened to you two?” When two sets of eyes turned on him, he winced, but didn’t back down from the question. “You keep talking about running for your lives from a goddess, and the world being locked in a dream state, but you never talk about anything specific. Just a general sense of fear.” He chewed his lip for a second before just spitting the question out: “What did you see? What was it that made you give up?”

Gaara looked to Naruto, face full of concern, and Kakashi realized that he’d been asking both unnecessarily. Gaara’s hope lay strong in his faith in his friend, but _Naruto -_ Naruto had seen something that shattered him, that stole away his last hope for humanity and sent him running backwards.

Naruto closed his eyes, shaking slightly as he took deep breaths, clearly mentally bracing himself for his next words.

And then he looked up, eyes hard and cold, jaw set sharp, pain greater than any man good endure radiating from every part of him.

“I saw nothing,” Naruto said. “A whole world of nothing, stripped bare, because somewhere along the way I destroyed more than I saved.”

Gaara watched him for a second, before turning sad eyes to Kakashi. “If you want to know the turning point in our lives, we’ll have to tell you something we swore we’d forget about having even created.”

Kakashi looked to Naruto, but the boy had his eyes locked on something distant and unseen.

Gaara was the one who kept speaking. “We need to tell you about the Glass Rain.”

  
  


_Naruto stared in horror as White Zetsu soldiers spread across the horizon line, but they weren’t what sunk the dread into his stomach._

_That honor was taken by the miles of bodies behind them: puppets on unseen strings, at the mercy of the jutsu that controlled them, their minds long lost to an eternal dream._

_Shinobi. Countless shinobi, from every village, left with the bare minimum of chakra and directed as a pure force of numbers against those who once stood among them._

_“There’s too many,” Sasuke said. “We can maybe hold out for three or four minutes - no time at all. There’s less than a hundred of us, and we’re exhausted. We’re too weak for this much.”_

_“Then we have to take them out altogether,” Gaara said._

_Naruto caught on, grinning as his hands formed a familiar sign. “Sounds like a plan,” he said, nudging Sasuke with a shoulder. “You with me, bastard, or are you gonna keep whining about last time?”_

_“Eat me, moron,” Sasuke replied, forming his own handsigns. “Let’s just hope you’re more coordinated in battle than in practice.”_

_Gaara didn’t bother with their banter, just unhooked his gourd from his shoulder, tossing it to the ground. Coating a hand in chakra, he slammed it down, splitting the gourd open and spilling the sand freely across the ground. As he stood back up, the chakra followed his extended arm, spreading out and filling the air with a widespread thin layer of sand, stretching out horizontally toward the approaching army._

_“Ready,” he called. “Naruto?”_

_There was a pop and a rush of chakra, and then around a hundred perfect copies of Naruto called back with their own, “Ready!”_

_Gaara glanced to his side to see Sasuke step forward, chidori senbon needles crackling in his hands, from where a vast number of them squeezed between his knuckles. “Ready,” he echoed._

_“Then we’re set,” he muttured. He closed his eyes, focusing his chakra, before throwing them back open and yelling,_ **_“Go!”_ **

_The sand sheet flipped to stand vertically, just as Sasuke swung his hands out to let the chidori needles fly, cutting through the sand and crackling through the grains, vanishing into the sheet that was almost instantly turned to thick, cloudy glass._

_“Naruto!” Sasuke called._

_“On it!” the other replied, before throwing forward a hundred identical Rasengan, each clone throwing theirs in unison._

_The spinning air shattered the glass sheet, and dragged the jagged shards with it as it sailed into the army ahead. As it cut through, it spit the shards back out, ravaging the battlefield before them in waves of blood and carnage._

_It was a gruesome technique, the product of a desperate struggle for an upper hand, but it was undoubtedly effective._

_The army’s procession was instantly halted, but no victory cries were heard on the field._

_None of them thought it something to celebrate, once seeing it in action._

_Naruto stared in wide-eyed horror, hand still frozen in the position it’d thrown the Rasengan from._

_He felt like the field before them had begun green, but it was all red now. Shards of glass and severed limbs and blood, so much blood…_

_“You have changed much,” a soft, eerie voice called, and Naruto’s heart skipped a beat._

_Kaguya._

_She appeared before them, ever so fast, and darted a hand forward, grabbing Sasuke by the throat._

_“Sasuke!” Naruto called. “Let him go!”_

_She didn’t acknowledge he’d even spoken. “Someone who constantly cries for the end of violence, and yet you tear apart an enemy with a smile on your face, relishing the blood of those you deem wicked.”_

_“No, that’s not-..!” Naruto cried._

_It was too late, though. Kaguya turned a toothy smile to him, a sort of twisted mimicry of his own grin. “We are not so different, you know.”_

_And then, without even looking for the man she had dangling from her hand, she shoved her other hand deep into his chest, pulling back to tear his heart free._

_“Sasuke!” Naruto cried out, but he wasn’t given time to mourn: Gaara moved on automatic, grabbing him and running, retreating while Kaguya was weakened from the loss of so many of her chakra sources._

_“I killed him,” Naruto sobbed into Gaara’s shoulder, later. “I_ **_killed_ ** _him.”_

_“No, you didn’t,” Gaara assured him. “Kaguya did.”_

_Naruto didn’t even hear him._

  


“I never got over it,” Naruto said. “Hell, I’m _still_ not over it. Every time I see him, I think about it. It was the worst thing I’d ever done. I like to think it’s the worst I ever _will_ do.”

Kakashi stared in wide-eyed horror, trying to imagine Naruto - lighthearted and light-humored, quick with a joke and unfazed by animosity - going through something that was so deeply traumatizing.

Kakashi had lost everything that made him human to the sounds of birds and the smell of blood - and Naruto had felt that a thousand times over, and then again just at his side.

No wonder he’d given up. Kakashi wouldn’t have even had the strength for a last-ditch effort. Naruto managed to break all known laws of space-time to fix his mistake and Kakashi couldn’t even work up the strength to look himself in the mirror most mornings.

 _It makes you wonder how strong he is,_ Shisui had mused, that one day.

 _I don’t have to wonder anymore,_ Kakashi thought. _I know._

And by all things holy, he wished he didn’t.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't even have a one liner for this im just Hurting


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is an apology for the last chapter, mostly  
> except i'm not actually sorry  
> enjoy the fluff anyway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the first scene in this was originally going to be a lot different but i. split it. and now theres this version which is Part A and Part B will be...later.

“Taijutsu only,” Naruto said. 

“And no weapons,” Gaara added. 

“Or seals?” 

Gaara narrowed his eyes, and Naruto laughed, rubbing the back of his head. 

“Dumb question,” he allowed. “No weapons, no seals. Winner gets…?”

Gaara unhooked his small gourd from his belt, setting it on the ground, quickly joined by his mantelet and Naruto’s jacket. With both of them left in nothing but mesh shirts and shorts, the turned back to each other. 

“Bragging right, obviously,” Naruto continued. “But we need a prize! Like the old days, right, Gaara?” He winced. “Oh, that was such an old man thing to say.”

“If you win, I’ll make you ramen.”

Naruto looked at him like he hung the moon. “I love you, and I'm going to obliterate you now.”

Gaara gave him a sly, mischievous smile, a rare expression that set dread to boiling in Naruto’s stomach. “But if I win, then our argument gets solved.”

Naruto blanched as he caught on. Gaara had been bugging him about getting an actual house - he was entitled to land in the village, if not a full estate, based on his status as a de facto clan head...a title he'd never actually used. 

Gaara, lover of all things domestic and advocator for the comforts of home, insisted he should claim the right to a full home and start setting down roots. Not necessarily the greatest idea, given their state of constant pressure, but…

But Gaara had a point. Naruto had been using the tentative nature of his apartment lease to serve as the substitute for the fragility of their camps, letting him keep a routine of constant checks and living out of bags that would never get unpacked. 

Naruto didn't want a house, but he could understand that he needed a  _ home _ . 

“Okay, deal,” Naruto said. “But if I get a house, you're moving into it. Your family can't stay in that little in forever, if you're gonna be staying.”

Gaara smiled at his friend, much less wicked and much more pleased. “We have a deal, then.” 

They didn't give a signal. They had known each other too long to have to. In the same blink as Gaara finished his sentence, he stepped back, dodging Naruto’s first punch. 

Naruto used the momentum of his swing to spin his body around, lashing out with a kick instead, giving himself extra reach than he'd have with his arm. 

Gaara didn't even stumble, just went from curving out of the way of the punch to bending himself into a full backflip, getting himself a good few feet away. 

That was the issue with spars with Naruto and Gaara: they were each other’s perfect match, equal in skill and entirely aware of the other’s style and habits. 

Gaara knew Naruto would always go for head on attacks with raw strength first, relying on his own muscle mass, just as Naruto knew Gaara would use his smaller size and practiced flexibility to dodge before he'd even think of an attack, letting Naruto wear himself out. 

Naruto had near endless stamina, and Gaara had near endless patience. Between the two, a simple spar could last quite a while, and escalate past the point of typical reason.

To be fair, though, most of their friendship could be described similarly. Dramatic escalation was their specialty. 

Naruto recovered from his second miss well, and surged forward again, this time pouring chakra through his legs to give him speed. Both he and Gaara were fast, and Naruto may have been the son of the Yellow Flash, but without the help of seals and jutsu they were fairly evenly matched in that as well. 

Gaara held still for a moment, letting Naruto throw his weight into a punch, only to duck right under it and behind him, striking him between the shoulders to throw him forward with his own momentum. 

Naruto had seen that one coming, as it was a common move between them, and countered it by reaching back, letting his hand wrap around Gaara’s forearm and straightening himself up by pulling down on it, unbalancing the other in the process.

Gaara took the stumble and turned it to a forward roll, granting himself a few feet of space again. 

“Nice recovery,” Naruto complimented.

“I could say the same,” Gaara said, and then they were at it again, two forces of nature going head-to-head.

  
  
  
  


Kakashi had been staring down at his two genin with mild irritation, about to grill them on where exactly the ever-absent third member of their team was, when he felt the chakra spikes coming from a nearby training ground.

They were  _ massive,  _ and erratic, and one was most certainly Naruto’s.

His heart chilled, and he took off after them immediately, allowing only a brief second to tell his genin,  _ “Stay here.”  _

Sasuke and Sakura, of course, didn’t even pretend to listen, following him immediately.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure what he expected, there.

To his relief, though, a battle with a foreign ninja or an Akatsuki member wasn’t what met him: instead, he got Naruto and Gaara, both lithely circling each other, in something between an all-out spar and a delicate dance.

Naruto’s movements were all erratic, but clearly practiced and powerful, and even when Kakashi expected him to stumble or unbalance he was able to catch himself and recover immediately, going back for another punch or kick. Gaara, on the other hand, never lashed out at all, simply twisting and bending out of the way of every strike, all backflips and rolls and handsprings. 

“...Wow,” Sasuke muttered, beside him, and Kakashi was instantly grateful the boy was only eight. Puberty and his crush on Naruto were likely going to be a deadly combination. 

“They’re so  _ good,”  _ Sakura said, hands clasping together in front of her as she leaned as far forward as she dared on the tree branch they’d perched on, watching eagerly. “They’re both really fast!”

Gaara dodged a punch that went straight into a tree, and Naruto ended up having to yank his fist back where it had buried itself into the trunk, springing back to avoid Gaara’s retaliation and revealing a hole that probably went a good foot deep into the massive oak. 

“And  _ strong,”  _ Sasuke added. 

_ Yeah _ , Kakashi thought,  _ and reckless. _

“Hey!” 

Both boys turned to look at him, and Kakashi watched with fascination as neither ceased their movements, continuing to attack each other while still keeping a tiny bit of their attention on Kakashi.

“Kakashi-sensei!” Naruto called, sweeping out a leg to try and kick out Gaara’s, only for the redhead to jump over them and grab his ankle to drag it forward.

“Are you two trying to bring down five sets of Anbu on your heads?” Kakashi asked as Naruto took advantage of his close range to headbut Gaara in the chest, knocking him back a few steps, the first solid hit of the match. “Your chakra is all over the place.”

“Oops!” Naruto said, and then rolled to one side to let Gaara’s chakra-coated fist slam into the dirt. He took advantage of Gaara struggling to free his arm from its elbow-deep prison to stand and look up to Kakashi, grinning broadly. “We can try without chakra, if you’d rather?”

“Do not,” Gaara snapped. “I want a chance to actually win, thank you.”

Naruto ducked, Gaara’s latest punch swinging harmlessly over his head. “Well, keep your hand out of the dirt, then.”

“If you win, I’m poisoning your ramen.”

Naruto laughed, going for Gaara again, the unending dance picking right back up. “If  _ you _ win, I’m decorating my house with tacky art.”

Maybe it was Kakashi’s imagination, but Gaara’s next hit seemed a bit wild. 

Those two, honestly. 

“Alright, kids,” Kakashi said to his team. “I don’t think this is gonna end soon. I suppose we could watch it? It would be good for you to learn your teammate’s fighting style.”

He looked down to the children for approval, only to see both of them with their eyes glued to the spar, utterly deaf to him.

He sighed, looking up to the sky, wondering what exactly he’d done to get stuck with this lot. None of the blood on his hands should have ended in a punishment this cruel.

  
  
  


“It’s been hours,” Sakura sighed, slumping against the trunk of the tree. “How are they still at it?”

Kakashi had been wondering the same thing - he was tired just  _ watching  _ them, but each time he was certain they’d exhausted themselves, they turned around and launched right back into it. 

“They’re inhuman,” Sasuke murmured. “There’s no way a normal person could stay this long.”

“Is it because they’re jinchuuriki?” Sakura asked, looking up at her teacher. Kakashi’s attempt at explaining the concept of jinchuuriki to them had been shaky at best, so she’d taken to questioning it often.

Kakashi shook his head. “No. They’re not using much chakra, and what they do pull is their own. Naruto and Gaara are lasting entirely out of their own endurance.”

That being said…

He looked down at the two clashing on the training ground, wondering which one would end up the victor. 

Almost as though he’d summoned it, the end came.

Naruto threw a wide punch that Gaara countered by grabbing him at the wrist and dragging his arm forward. Immediately, Gaara leaned his head forward, and Kakashi automatically assumed it would be Naruto’s style of pure force headbut. It wasn’t that at all, though: instead, Gaara leaned forward and pecked a small kiss to Naruto’s forehead. 

Naruto startled, looking up to his friend for an explanation...and was immediately flipped onto his back, a foot placed on his chest to pin him down.

“I win,” Gaara declared. 

“That was a dirt move, Gaara,” Naruto said, but he was grinning, so Kakashi didn’t figure he was mad about it. “How’d you know I was getting distracted?”

“You move around more when your attention is wavering.” He moved his foot and pulled his friend up, letting Naruto dust the dirt off himself. “Mainly in your feet. Your last defensive stance was unstable, because you kept shifting your weight.” 

Naruto groaned, rubbing the back of his head. “We were at it too long, I couldn’t stay focused anymore.” He sighed dramatically, leaning his full weight onto Gaara’s side, an arm thrown around his shoulders. “How am I supposed to live without the promise of delicious homemade ramen?” 

“I’ll make it for your housewarming dinner.”

“I love you.”

Kakashi looked to Sasuke, expecting him to be raging at the lighthearted friendly banter, only to find the kid looking entirely lost in thought. 

_ Oh, no,  _ Kakashi thought. _ That can’t be good. _

  
  
  
  


Gaara and Naruto were really good friends.

They were the kind of friends that Sakura and Ino sometimes were, when they weren’t arguing about something. The kind of friends Itachi and Shisui were, with the same stipulation. 

Actually, pretty much every example of ‘good friends’ he had were people that fought a lot. The most he’d seen Gaara and Naruto do, though, was bicker. It was always lighthearted and teasing, not genuinely upset. 

Sasuke had to wonder…

How had those two become so close?

Gaara wasn’t even a Konoha ninja. Somehow, through a couple in-person meetings and who knows how many letters, Gaara had wormed his way right into being Naruto’s most precious person.

All he could think was,  _ what did he do that I can’t? _

Naruto never seemed to notice Sasuke. Sure, he saw him and said hello and talked about his family, but he just seemed to see what everyone else did: Itachi’s little brother. He was always introduced as Itachi’s brother, he was always respected as Itachi’s brother…

Just once, he’d like to be his own person. 

Naruto was nice, quick with a kind word and an encouraging smile, fiercely strong but always willing to share what he knew. 

Sasuke had a feeling Naruto had only accepted his rivalry so easily because he didn’t see Sasuke as a threat at all. Every time he mentioned it, he treated it as  _ Sasuke decided to get stronger to beat me,  _ instead of  _ we’re trying to be better than each other.  _

Their whole dynamic was one-sided. 

Looking at Naruto draping himself along Gaara’s side, grinning ear-to-ear and babbling about something Sasuke didn’t even attempt to follow, he felt stupid. He’d been clawing at the goal of being better than Naruto for Naruto’s sake, wanting to be seen as an equal more than anything.

Now he saw it. If he wanted to stop being  _ Naruto’s fanboy  _ or  _ Itachi’s brother  _ or  _ Kakashi’s student,  _ he needed to be his own person. He needed to get stronger not to beat someone else, but entirely for his own sake.

_ I’m going to surpass them all,  _ Sasuke decided.  _ I’m going to get stronger and smarter and better at everything, and I’m going to become my own man, worth acknowledgement all on my own. _

  
  
  
  


Boys, Sakura thought, were  _ stupid.  _

...Well, the boys she  _ knew,  _ anyway. Which pretty much consisted of her team and their immediate acquaintances. 

Kakashi-sensei was stupid because he was careless. He would rather read or nap under a tree than do most things, including stuff he should probably do to take care of himself. She’d seen him walking around enough at night to be half convinced he never actually slept at all.

Naruto was stupid because he was unobservant. Sometimes he looked  _ right at  _ someone and totally missed that they were happy to see him, immediately apologizing for making them listen to him talk or something like that.

Sasuke, though. Sasuke was the  _ most  _ stupid. 

Sasuke built everything he was around getting people to pay attention to him, and never seemed to realize that he was making his own situation worse. Every time he compared himself to Naruto or Itachi or Shisui or Kakashi or  _ anyone,  _ everyone who heard him stuck that comparison in their mind right under the listing of his name, and that became the way they knew him. He was always linking himself to people and then yelling that he wasn’t just whatever he was to them.

Plus, his fixation on Naruto was annoying the crap out of her, because Naruto was super nice and easygoing, but also  _ dense.  _ Naruto didn’t ignore Sasuke on purpose: he thought Sasuke hated him, and left him alone because of that. If Sasuke would just  _ tell  _ Naruto he liked him, she was sure it would go a lot better than whatever half-baked plan he’d come up with. 

Her mom always said she was going to marry a really smart boy one day, but Sakura was starting to think those didn’t exist.

Maybe she’d just marry a girl. Someone on their team should get a wife, anyway.

  
  
  
  
  


Jiraiya stared at the scroll that had just been delivered by someone’s dog summons - probably Kakashi’s, since it asked after his newest book before it took off. It was a message, written in Sarutobi’s familiar scrawl, and telling of something Jiraiya would really rather not have known.

The Akatsuki he was watching wasn’t just a suspicious mercenary group. They were terrorists, and they were after jinchuuriki. 

_ Konoha is becoming a base of sorts,  _ Sarutobi had written.  _ There are four jinchuuriki here at the moment, and they have all befriended one another and formed their own survival strategies. While B and Yagura will no doubt return to their own villages, I have a feeling Gaara will want to stay with Naruto, and I don’t believe anyone would argue that he’d be safer in Suna. If we’re going to protect our own and defeat this unknown force, I’d rather have you in the village than outside it. _

Jiraiya sighed. He’d never actually  _ met  _ Naruto, but he’d gotten semi-regular updates on him in his correspondence with Sarutobi. Each time Jiraiya sent in a report on something new he’d learned, he’d be given a tidbit in the response to reveal something about his more-or-less abandoned godson.

_ He is at the top of his class,  _ one letter had said, a couple of years back.  _ He was promoted,  _ then.  _ He graduated. He’s on Kakashi’s team. He is friends with members of the Uchiha clan.  _

Some of them were nice like that, but others...others were concerning.

_ He knows he’s a jinchuuriki. _

_ He can control the fox’s chakra. _

_ He knows his bijuu’s name, and refers to him by it at all times.  _

_ He is stronger than he should be, for his age and experience. _

_ Sometimes he looks haunted, and I wonder what he’s seen when I wasn’t looking. _

One message, however, stuck with him, written in some form or another in almost every update.

_ The loneliness in this boy is deeper than the oceans and harsher than the mountainsides, and his smiles and kindness can only mask so much.  _

Jiraiya didn’t really have a choice, but even if he did, he would choose to go back.

He’d abandoned Naruto for too long: now, with the boy in danger, there was no way he wasn’t going to be around to keep an eye on him.

  
  
  
  


“You want to stay in Konoha?”

Gaara nodded, and his siblings were only a millisecond behind him. Clearly they’d been thinking about it - which worried Rasa, because that meant they had  _ meetings  _ and  _ plans  _ that he wasn’t aware of. 

Then again, his children were probably safer keeping their thoughts among themselves. Rasa loved them, he  _ did _ , but his first duty must be to his village, and sometimes those things did not allow much room for each other. 

“They asked me to stay with them,” Yashamaru said. “That way it could be listed as a diplomacy mission.”

“No need,” Rasa said. “All of you will stay, but I’m calling the mission as it is: this is an S-Rank protection mission. Your goal is to keep Gaara and Naruto safe from the Akatsuki at any cost.” He looked between each of his children individually, holding eye contact with them all in turn. “That’s my assignment to you as your Kazekage, though. As you father...remember, very little is worth your lives. Fight tooth and nail as you always have, but please, come home safely.” He reached out, setting a hand on top of Gaara’s head and crouching down to look him in the eyes. “For too long, I watched you with fear that you would become something I could not control. Now I see that I shouldn’t have worried: I can’t control you, certainly, but you can control  _ yourself.  _ You know when to act and when to refrain, and your moral judgement is quite frankly better than mine.”

Gaara gave him a tiny smile. “I love you, father,” he said.

Rasa froze, because it just hit him that he’d never heard Gaara say that.

“...I love you, too,” he said, quietly. “All three of you. Now, go tell your friend the news. I have to go warn the Hokage I’m inflicting you lot on him.” 

Kankuro made an offended noise, but was dragged off by his siblings in their eager rush to go find Naruto.

Well,  _ Gaara’s  _ eager rush. Temari’s frantic chase, more like.

“You’ve grown,” Yashamaru told him. “It’s good. It’s let Gaara grow with you.”

Rasa shook his head, staring off after his son. “I’m not responsible for this. Gaara didn’t grow with me - I grew for him.” He turned to head out of the room, leaving Yashamaru with a single parting statement: “Never mistake it, my friend: Gaara is the wisest of all of us, regardless of his age.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bad dad redemption arcs are gonna be a thing in this fic bc as a guy with a bad dad im not in the mood to write shitty fathers being shitty right now


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> introducing: yugito

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oKAY so I wanna take a sec and address a thing and that thing is _sasuke is eight years old_  
>  people keep asking about accelerating the sasuke/naruto plotline and im just like. guys. he's EIGHT let him LIVE  
> i have a plan!! for the ships!!! i promise!!!  
> patience young padawans

“Sasuke’s training again.”

Itachi sidestepped a barrage of shuriken, knocking a few stray ones out of his path with a kunai as he went. “He does that.”

“I wonder what Naruto did this time?” Shisui mused. “Something impressive, certainly. He’s been at it for hours.”

Itachi flipped his kunai around and chucked it at Shisui, watching him duck it only for the explosive tag on it to go off and send him stumbling. “Pay attention to your fight, for once?”

“I am!” Shisui said, recovering, this time sending senbon instead. “You get reckless when you’re irritated.”

“I see. So this is all a tactic, then?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”   
Itachi activated his Sharingan to help him dodge the senbon, since the targets were too vast and tiny for him to do without it. “And here I thought you were just weirdly obsessed with Sasuke’s idolization of Naruto. Little did I know all the times you don’t shut up about it, you were just working on a long-haul psychological warfare.”

“Don’t be a smartass.” Shisui activated his own Sharingan, Mangekyou spirals spinning as he tracked Itachi’s movements in order to dodge the next attack. “It’s not attractive.”

“What gave you the impression  _ that  _ was something I’m worried about?”

“ _ Brother!” _

Itachi threw his kunai before bothering to turn to Sasuke, because he was an  _ asshole,  _ and Shisui dodged it before joining his friend at his side to see what the eight year old had to tell them.

“Sasuke,” Itachi greeted. “Did you need something?”

“Look!” 

For a second, Shisui was lost, looking to the kid’s hands, expecting him to hold out something. When he heard Itachi’s breath catch, though, he glanced up to meet the kid’s eyes, and…

Oh.

Spinning around in lazy circles, a single-dot Sharingan glowed red in each eye.

“How did  _ that _ happen?” Itachi asked. “I wasn’t expecting you to get it for a while.”

“I got really mad,” Sasuke told them. “Cause I was practicing with kunai and stuff, and then I started thinking about talking to Sakura the other day when I was practicing with her, and then I realized she probably thinks I’m stupid. I just..” He reached up, grabbing tiny handfuls of his hair, pulling on them in frustration. “I want to be a good shinobi, like you two are.  _ Especially  _ you, brother. Everyone calls you a genius, and everyone calls  _ Naruto  _ a genius, and nobody ever calls me anything except your brother and his teammate. I wanna be a person, too.”

Shisui watched Itachi’s face twitch, clearly trying desperately to maintain his usual stoic indifference in the face of an emotional declaration, so he stepped in to save his friend. “You’re plenty clever on your own, Sasuke,” he said. “Most people who get a Sharingan need something dramatic to activate it - you managed to unlock it all on your own, just by being stubborn. You’re already doing better than Itachi. All he’s ever gotten from being pigheaded was a lump on the head.”

Itachi glared at him, and he smiled back.

Shisui wondered, distantly, if Naruto should have just let him die by Danzo’s hand. At least then he wouldn’t need to suffer whatever fate was brewing for him in Itachi’s cold, sadistic heart.

  
  
  
  
  


_ They’re here, all right,  _ Matatabi drawled in her mind, as Yugito approach Konoha’s gates.  _ I can feel Kurama’s chakra over this place like a blanket. _

Yugito frowned.  _ Why would he coat the whole village? _

_ Scent marking, maybe.  _

Yugito blinked, then laughed, realizing her bijuu was joking.  _ Seriously, what’s the Kyuubi up to? If I’m walking in there, I need to know what I’m heading towards. _

_ I think they’re barrier seals,  _ Matatabi said.  _ Which is interesting, because it means Kurama has a jinchuuriki who is good at seals, a master of his chakra, and also decently paranoid about intruders in his village. _

“A dangerous combination,” Yugito muttered to herself, before straightening, the guard towers on the sides of the Konoha gate coming into view. “Showtime.”

  
  
  
  


Naruto froze mid-step, shifting his grip on the box he held at the last minute to keep from dropping it. “Two chakra signatures just passed through the barrier,” he told Gaara, speaking quietly enough that his siblings wouldn’t hear. “...Kurama confirmed it, it’s Yugito and Matatabi.”

Gaara set his own box down immediately. “I’ll get them, and get groceries on the way back, so I have a reason to be gone. Do  _ not  _ put up that ugly bird painting while I’m gone.”

Naruto snickered as his friend took off. He was  _ absolutely  _ putting up that painting. Right in the living room, too. Kakuro would probably help him hang it, even.

  
  
  
  


“Yugito Nii,” a light, slightly high-pitched yet monotone voice called to him. “Welcome to Konoha.”

She drew a knife immediately, pointing it towards the one approaching her. “You know who I am, then?”

_ Calm, child,  _ Matatabi said.  _ He’s got Shukaku in him, I can feel it. Less murderous rage, more stability, but definitely him.  _

“You’re a jinchuuriki,” Yugito said, straightening and lowering her blade. “The Ichibi’s?”

“ _ Shukaku _ , if you don’t mind,” the boy corrected. “I am Gaara. Naruto is busy, right now, so I came to get you.”

“Get me?” she questioned. This kid had to be younger than ten, and he was  _ tiny.  _ She was sort of tall for her age, most teen girls standing a few inches below her, but still. She could  _ step on  _ this kid. “And take me where, exactly?”

“Um,” the kid seemed to falter, then. “I was thinking back to Naruto’s house, but they’re still setting it up, and nobody is gonna believe I just stumbled into you getting groceries. So I guess we’ll have to sort of...wing it.”

Her eyebrow twitched.  _ Who is supposed to be in charge of this thing, again? The Kyuubi’s container, right? Where is he? _

_ That would be Naruto,  _ Matatabi answered.  _ The house that I believe you were just uninvited to. _

“Look,” she said, letting out a low breath, because she didn’t want to yell at a child. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I need to speak to an  _ adult.  _ Preferably the Kyuubi’s host, since everyone seems to be going on his word.”

Gaara tipped his head, giving her a flat look that just hinted at amusement. “Do you want Naruto, or an adult? I’m afraid you’ll have to pick one.”

….Oh, good lord, what had she gotten herself into?

  
  
  
  


“Gaara found a  _ girl.” _

“What?”

Temari scrambled to the front window of the house, all pretense of unpacking abandoned at Kankuro’s statement. Sure enough, her brother was headed back up the road to Naruto’s new Uzumaki Estate, loaded with bags and talking to a girl that looked to be in her late teens. 

...Who was  _ gorgeous _ . Temari was pretty sure her heart stopped for a second.

“Wow,” she muttured. “What’s she doing with Gaara?” She leaned forward, squinting at them. “She’s not from here. Look at her headband! She’s another Kumo nin, like the jinchuuriki they’re friends with.”

“Maybe she knows him?” Kankuro guessed. “Gaara’s collecting friends, it seems.”

“ _ Powerful _ friends,” she said. “Maybe he  _ is _ gonna take over the world.”

“Nah,” Naruto said, popping up between them and scaring the hell out of the two in the process. “He wouldn’t want to take over the world. That’s way too much work! He’d never have time to cook or garden or anything. He’d go nuts.”

Kankuro looked just a moment away from reminding the blonde that most people considered Gaara to  _ already  _ be ‘nuts,’ but Temari shot him a warning look - she may have never seen it in action, but Naruto’s vengeful reputation proceeded him. She didn’t want to know what vicious prank he’d cook up if he felt his friend had been insulted. She’d heard tales of some of his actions, and they were  _ terrifying. _

(Also, hilarious. She’d need to ask him his techniques.)

Naruto moved to open the door, calling out a greeting to Gaara, signalling him and the stranger to come inside. 

Well, then. Time to meet some new people, she guessed.

  
  
  
  


Yugito blinked at the boy in front of her, just as young as Gaara and twice as innocent-looking, eyes bright and wide and a childish grin splitting his face. 

“You...are the Kyuubi jinchuuriki.” 

“Yup!” the boy confirmed. “Naruto Uzumaki, container for Kurama the nine-tailed fox! And you’re Yugito with Matatabi. Kurama told me.” He leaned in, mock-whispering, “I think he is embarrassed with all his siblings talking to him lately, because he got really testy when I mentioned him hanging out with Matatabi. Either that, or she scares him.”

_ Both,  _ Matatabi said.  _ Oh, Kurama, you’ve got a fun one. I like him. Yugito, we need to keep him. _

“She says both,” Yugito passed along. She left the rest out - pissing off a bijuu didn’t seem like it was exactly  _ safe _ , even if the others seemed unbothered by the idea of it. 

“Well!” Naruto said, clapping his hands together. “We should get B and Yugito to come by, and have dinner all together as jinchuuriki!”

“You just want me to cook,” Gaara muttered from her side. 

Naruto stuck his tongue out at his friend. “You said you’d make ramen, so you’d better do it, y’know.”

Gaara looked up to her, his blank face as unsettling as it was the first time, even if now she could  _ sort of  _ make out the faintest hint of emotion in it. 

What she saw looked vaguely apologetic, which made Yugito think that Naruto’s easygoing and somewhat ridiculous behavior was probably  _ normal _ for him. 

“I believe you’ve been invited to dinner,” Gaara translated for her. “If you want to stay and eat with us, I’d like cooking for you. We jinchuuriki need to band together, with people after us.”

Yugito wasn’t entirely certain what was happening, but she didn’t need Matatabi’s input to realize what the clear choice was, there.

She nodded to the children, letting them lead her into the house’s dining room. 

She never really talked to Killer Bee, despite them being from the same village, and the chance to befriend people like her was one she wasn’t willing to pass up. 

  
  
  
  


“Most of the jinchuuriki are in pairs,” Yagura said, toying with the noodles of his ramen with his chopsticks. He and Yugito both were more focused on planning than eating, while Gaara had a fairly even attention split and Naruto and Killer Bee were passionately devoting their attention to inhaling their food. 

“Killer Bee and I are in the same village,” Yugito said. “And Gaara and Naruto live together, right now. Who else?”

“Utakata and I,” Yagura said. “And Han and Roshi, if I’m not mistaken. That just leaves…Chomei’s. What’s her name again?”

“Fu!” Naruto declared, briefly pausing his meal to grin at them. “She’s in Taki, by herself.”

“She’s our age, or close to it, I believe,” Gaara said. “If she comes to us, that would likely be her safest bet.”

“Kurama’s on it,” Naruto announced. “So we’ll keep an eye out for her.”

“Then I should probably head back to Kiri.” Yagura finally took his first bite of the ramen, and instantly realized he’d been missing out the entire time. That kid could  _ cook.  _

Naruto snickered at his reaction - probably an awed expression, if he felt it right. “Yeah, Gaara’s good, right?”

Yugito, curious, took a bite herself. “..Oh.”

Gaara preened slightly, which looked very odd with his mostly-blank face. One day that would stop being so creepy, Yagura hoped. 

“If you guys all head back to your villages,” Naruto said, “Then we should be safe, paired off like that. Utakata and Fu are at the highest risk right now, ‘cause they’re alone. If we’re lucky, the Akatsuki will stop chasing us when we’ve gotten locked down and back off to regroup.”

“If we’re not lucky, because we  _ never  _ are, we have the shared mental plane of the bijuu to communicate.” Gaara rested his chin on his hands, looking thoughtful. “Once everyone is settled and secured, Naruto and I should probably meet you there to give you the full story of what is happening. I don’t know how much your bijuu have told you, but there’s a lot going on.”

“Matatabi has told me nothing other than that I’m safer with you guys than alone,” Yugito told them.

“Isobu has no filter, so I’ve heard a  _ lot,”  _ Yagura said. “But it doesn’t make sense to me, since it’s mostly excitable rambling.” 

_ Sorry!  _ Isobu called to him.  _ I’m not a good talker. _

_ No problem,  _ Yagura thought back.  _ I’m not a good listener.  _

“Ya ain’t gotta tell nothin’ to Killer Bee,” the man chimed in, making Yagura internally groan - the rhymes  _ only got worse.  _ “I already heard it all from Gyuki.” 

“So I’m the odd one out?” Yugito asked.    
“Kurama said not to feel bad, ‘cause Matatabi likes to watch people try and figure stuff out on their own,” Naruto said. “Well, he said it a lot ruder, but that’s probably what he meant.”

_ I’m going to skin that fox,  _ Matatabi told her.  _ How much do you think the pelt of a bijuu would sell for? _

_ Can you collect a pelt of something without a physical body? _

_ I can try. _

Naruto gave Yugito a knowing smile, like he could hear the banter going on in her head. She supposed he was probably used to it, being both a jinchuuriki and a friend to others like him. 

...Oh, dear lord, she didn’t want to image what a conversation with the  _ Kyuubi  _ would be like. Matatabi only had two tails and she was more than a handful.

No wonder the kid was so respected by the tailed beasts. It would take a sage’s patience just to  _ imagine _ what he dealt with daily. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Naruto,” Gaara said, laying next to his friend’s side, after the others had left and Temari and Kankuro had gone to bed. He’d chosen to go to bed at Naruto’s side, not realizing how much he missed being able to keep tabs on his friend while they slept until he’d woken up with him after his seal change. 

Naruto rolled onto his side to face Gaara, raising an eyebrow at him. “Yeah?”

“We haven’t dealt with Danzo.”

Naruto turned back over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. “Mm. I honestly don’t know what we’re gonna do there, y’know?” 

“You mean you haven’t figured out a way to avoid killing him.”

Naruto huffed out a short facsimile of a laugh. “I’m that obvious, huh?” 

“Only to me.” Gaara looked over to his friend, watching him with concern. “You haven’t even fought anyone since then, have you? Not in this timeline, at the least.”

“Not in any,” Naruto confirmed. “I saw enough blood that day, I don’t know how I’d feel, seeing it again. I used to wonder how granny Tsunade could be so scared of blood, after being a medic-nin for so long...but now I get it. Every single time I think about having to hurt someone, my heart aches and I hurt inside, and I don’t think I could do it. I’d try, y’know, I’d never give up when I could still fight...but I don’t know how easy it will be to give my all when I’ve seen how ugly that can get.”

“If we act fast enough, you won’t have to,” Gaara told him. “Your full power is above the level of our enemies, as they are. If they never get what they’re after, you and I can take them down easily. We may even be able to save some - Nagato listened to you, the first time, right? And Obito has morals buried in him somewhere.”

“Somewhere  _ deep _ ,” Naruto muttured. “I hope he comes around easier this time. If only for Kakashi-sensei’s sake.”

“Let’s worry about that when we get to it,” Gaara suggested. “Right now, our priority is preventing the early moves. You talked down the Uchiha, so the rebellion is put off, which means Itachi is in less danger.”

“But still  _ some _ ,” Naruto said. “Obito might not have gotten ahold of him, but Danzo’s probably still watching. No way Root isn’t staking out a way to get Uchiha eyes into their weird experiments.” 

“That’s another thing,” Gaara said. “What about the kids in Root?”

There was a silence, before Naruto sat up straight, eyes wide and panicked. “Shit!  _ Sai!” _

  
  
  
  
  


Sitting in a bunker underground, surrounded by practice paintings of seals, a nameless black haired boy sneezed. 

“Brother?” the boy next to him asked, looking up with concern. “Are you sick?”

“No, I don’t think so.” He rubbed at his nose, wondering what had disturbed him. “I think maybe I’ve been smelling paint for too long. Maybe I’ll sketch, instead.” He stretched, before reaching for a pencil and a scrap piece of paper. “Ah, I wish I had a sketchbook. Keeping up with these loose sheets is a pain.”

“A sketchbook, huh?” his adoptive brother mused. “That could be cool.” Maybe he’d get him one, one day.

It’d be interesting to see what it would get filled with. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote half this chapter in the middle of the night so if it doesnt make sense sorz


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and now to craft this chapter, just a dash of plot   
> (spills it)   
> shit thats too much go back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Sometimes, Orochimaru pondered how symbolic his summons of choice were of his general personality.

Cold and vicious, quick to strike and never one to question its own actions - he was a snake, alright, right down to the core. No one had ever thought him otherwise.

Being similar at heart to one’s summons, however, was not uncommon. It made a contract easier, at least. 

No, the bit that struck Orochimaru as odd was that his summons, his animal of choice, were the same creatures depicted in the symbol of the ouroboros: a snake devouring its own tail, symbolic of immortality. 

Maybe that was why he strove so hard to beat death. Or, maybe, he just feared the fragility of human nature.

It didn’t really matter, so long as he succeeded. 

His body was giving out. It was a fact he could no longer hide with medical jutsu and seals. He would not go Tsunade’s way, channeling all his chakra into a single mark and sealing it tight to maintain an illusion of youth. Nor would he follow Jiraiya, who viewed each wrinkle and grey hair as an achievement. 

No. As he aged, it was not vanity or pride that ruled him, but  _ fear.  _ Every day that passed was one closer to the end of his time, and he needed to find a way to beat that. 

If he could find a way to stop the turning of time, to halt it around himself and give him the opportunity to learn all the millions of things he wanted to know, he'd walk straight into death unafraid when it was done. Time didn't make deals, though, and passed without pause for him. 

No one could stop time or turn it back. Orochimaru had to find a way to keep going forward with it and not be left behind. 

He’d held out hope that the Akatsuki would bring him opportunity for further studies and experiments, helping him find a way to cheat death, but the organization was mostly a disappointment. Each member had their own goals they worked toward, the overarching message of ‘world peace’ existing as little more than a mask to the pride and ambition of ten individuals, and Orochimaru saw no reason to continue playing along with their schemes if they weren’t doing anything for him. 

What he really needed, more than anything, was to get back to his old lab.

He had coded notes, secret experiments, all sorts of things hidden in Danzo’s secret Root building, and some of those could shed light on his next necessary step.

Lucky for him, then, that when one of the twitchier members - Deidara, a short-tempered blond man with a passion for dramatics - jumped ahead of schedule and went after the two-tail’s jinchuuriki, she fled straight to Konoha. Konoha, where apparently there was a Kage summit in place, with several jinchuuriki in attendance. 

Orochimaru needed an in to Konoha, Konoha needed news on the Akatsuki, and the Akatsuki needed access to jinchuuriki.

Volunteering his services as a double agent was hardly a choice worth debating. 

  
  
  
  


“You’ve gotta remember to write to us!” Naruto insisted, grabbing Yagura’s hands. “And Utakata, too!”

“We're gonna be able to talk all the time in the bijuu mindspace,” Yagura said. “Why the fuck would I write letters?”

He was met with Gaara’s cool, blank stare, and was smart enough to catch the threat behind them. 

“...Fine, okay, damn. I'll write.” The Mizukage pulled his hands free to rub at the back of his neck. “Don't be so intense, jeez.”

“You, too, Yugito?” Naruto asked, looking to the side where the Kumo nin stood. “And B? We're family now, y'know, guys.”

Yugito’s eyes widened slightly at the declaration, but Killer B blew right by it. “I’ll write ya plenty, just bet. Us jinchuuriki are comin’ now as a set.”

Yagura’s eyebrow twitched. “Lovely.”

Naruto just laughed, hugging each new friend in turn. “I'll let you know when Fu gets in so we can all talk together! See you soon!”

They each waved as their groups moved out, heading to their own respective villages. 

“What are the odds of a civil war in Kiri, now?” Gaara asked, quietly.

“Eh,” Naruto replied. “60/40?”

“In whose favor?”

“Certainly not Yagura’s.”

Gaara nodded, before patting his friend’s arm. “I suppose we’ll have to keep an eye on them. Let’s go home, now.”

Naruto grinned.  _ Home.  _ That was something he could get used to. 

  
  
  
  
  


It took a week before Kurama woke Naruto with an urgent inpouring of his chakra, dragging him down into their mindspace before he’d even fully woken.

“What’s happening?” Naruto asked, immediately alarmed. “Someone pass through the barrier?”

“I was waiting for you to wake up, but Fu is outside the gates, camping in the woods,” Kurama said. “But that’s not the problem. Someone just came in, and their chakra is masked. Really well - I doubt even a jounin would recognize it as hidden, without your seals helping.”

Naruto’s blood ran cold. “Can you tell anything about them?”

“Not a damn thing,” Kurama said. “So I suggest we get moving before they decide not to hide anymore.”

Naruto nodded. “Can you tell Shukaku to take Gaara to get Fu?”

“It’d be faster to just tell Gaara yourself. He sleeps less than that racoon bastard.”

That was fair, he supposed, so he left the mindspace to do just that. 

Sure enough, Gaara sat awake on his bed, reading a book, a stack of other similar-looking books next to him - he was working through a series again, then. 

“If Shukaku’s behaving, can’t you sleep?”

“In theory,” Gaara said. “In practice, not so much. I get a few hours when I need them most, and that’s it.”

Naruto shook his head. “I’ll worry about that later. Right now, I need a favor.”

Gaara’s eyes were on him in an instant. “What is it?”

“Fu’s outside the gates. Can you get her?” He wrung his hands, nerves eating him from the inside. “Someone passed through the barrier, and Kurama can’t get a read on them, so I need to go see who they are.”

Gaara nodded. “I’ll go get her. Once Fu is settled in, I’ll come find you.”

“No, don’t,” Naruto said. “I’ll call you if I need you, I promise, but I don’t know what I’m going into and it’ll be easier to go unnoticed by myself.” He stepped across the room, drawing Gaara into a quick hug. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. It might be nothing.”

“It’s never  _ nothing,”  _ Gaara muttured. “We’re not that lucky.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. “We’re the luckiest two people in the world, right now,” he said. “Let’s just hope that carries a little further, today.”

  
  
  
  
  


“You have a tail,” Kotone, a tiny ringneck snake summons of Orochimaru, hissed into his ear from where she wrapped around it like an ear cuff. “A very clever tail. I smell him, but I don’t feel him.”

Given that Kotone was extremely sensitive to chakra, Orochimaru took that warning for what it was. He wasn’t fool enough to believe he was being followed by a civilian - there was a ninja after him, good enough at hiding his chakra to fool even the most experienced sensor. 

Masking his chakra and donning a henge were enough to get him into the civilian sector of the city as a normal traveller, but apparently he hadn’t fooled everyone. Someone had seen him and gotten suspicious - odd, considering he couldn’t remember doing anything particularly interesting since walking through the gates. He didn’t exactly run straight for Danzo’s hideout. 

He remembered, then, the seals he’d passed through on the way in. Kotone had spotted them, just barely catching the hidden points, and warned him ahead of time to mask his chakra early. Perhaps whoever put those seals in was clever enough to recognize a disguised shinobi, and chose to investigate.

It could be Root, he supposed.

Either way, he should really speak to them.

Orochimaru wandered through civilian markets and then out of them, into the first nearby training ground - one rarely used, if he remembered correctly, due to its proximity to more delicate citizens. 

Stopping in the center of it, he tipped his head, letting his signature black hair flow loose around his shoulders, the only part of himself not hidden by the innocuous young female henge. 

“Whoever you are,” he called, lightly, “I am no more fooled by you than you are by me.”

There was no noise to announce the person who approached: one moment Orochimaru was alone, the next a man was standing before him. 

_ Minato,  _ was Orochimaru’s first thought, but that wasn’t right. Minato was dead, he knew, and this boy did not look precisely like him either - his jaw and cheekbones had a sharpness Minato’s hadn’t, and his eyes were a deep red, with slitted pupils like a cat. A trait that paired well with the sharp teeth peeking out behind a slightly snarled lip and the whisker-like stripes across his cheeks. 

“Well then,” Orochimaru said. “I can’t say I know who you are.”

“Then we’re even,” the boy replied. “I’ll tell you who I am when I can see who you are.”

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow at the wording, and the man before him snorted.

“You can’t think I don’t catch the henge,” he said. “Your chakra is humming, right under where its suppressed, trying to stay active enough to hold the disguise without giving you away. Hiding your chakra, hiding your face...it’s safe to say you are trying not to be recognized. Which means you  _ are _ someone I would know, even if that doesn’t narrow it down much.” 

“You’re very clever,” Orochimaru said. “I suppose that answers the question of if you’re one of Root’s little turnouts.”

The man didn’t seem confused by the statement, nor alarmed at being caught, the two responses Orochimaru had expected. Instead, he seemed…

Oddly  _ offended. _

“I’m not one of Danzo’s,” the man said. “But thanks for answering  _ my  _ question. I can only think of one person with skills like yours and knowledge of that man - and besides, the hair kind of got me thinking it, anyway.” He folded his arms, levelling the Sannin with a cold stare. “What are you doing in Konoha, Orochimaru?”

He  _ was  _ good. He had Root figured out, he saw through Orochimaru instantly, he was able to puzzle out his identity…

If Orochimaru were still taking test subjects, this man would be his first choice. 

“I heard a rumor that Konoha is seeking information on the Akatsuki,” he said. “I’ve come to offer what I know in exchange for the price on my head to be taken  _ off  _ it.”

“Orochimaru, Legendary Sannin, bargaining for his life?” The man huffed. “At least  _ try _ to sound genuine when you lie that bad.” 

“Believe me or don’t, it makes no difference.” Orochimaru waved to the man ahead. “I believe it’s your turn.”

“I said when I can see you,” the man told him. “Which I still can’t. You’re not getting a damn thing from me except your ass being handed to you if you don’t get out of my village.”

“Not even when I can help you defend against your enemies?” Orochimaru asked, teasingly. “Both external and internal? You spoke Danzo’s name with enough distaste that you must know what he’s like. Wouldn’t you like an ally against him?”

“Against him or for him, whichever suits you best.” The man shook his head, shaggy blond hair falling into his face with the move. “I can’t rely on that. But  _ you  _ can rely on  _ this:  _ I need Danzo out of the picture more than I need you out of the village, right now. Give me one reason, even for a second, that you are going to harm anyone here…”

Orochimaru didn’t even see him move, didn’t even feel the wind shift, but he was suddenly pinned back on a tree with a hand around his throat, small claw-like nails pricking into the skin there. 

“I will rip you apart,” the man said. “You are a Sannin, but I’m more than that. You will never see my face in this village, not even once, but you  _ will  _ know I am there, and I  _ will _ be watching.”

In an instant, the man was gone, leaving a baffled Orochimaru in his wake.

“He gave his blessing,” Kotone chuckled into his ear. “What an interesting man that one is.” 

_ Interesting _ , indeed. Orochimaru pressed his fingertips gently against the lightly bleeding crescent marks on his nick. 

That man had promised to destroy him if he hurt anyone, and oddly enough, Orochimaru was inclined to believe it.

Luckily, he didn’t need to take anyone down himself. He existed to throw a spanner in the works, nothing more.

All he had to do was set the pieces up. Someone  _ else  _ could knock them down. 

  
  
  
  
  


“So your friend,” Fu said, hopping from foot to foot, eyeing Gaara with an almost manic enthusiasm. “He’s a jinchuuriki, too? The one Chomei said wanted me here?”

“He is, and he does,” Gaara confirmed. “Naruto is very fond of his fellow jinchuuriki, and considers us all to be family.”

“Family…”

Gaara watched as Fu stopped her bouncing, sobering at the thought of having a family of her own. He could see the wistful look in her eyes, and reminded himself that she was  _ actually  _ a child, not parading as one like Gaara and Naruto. 

She likely wanted nothing more than to be loved and accepted - which, lucky for her, were what Naruto did best.

“Come with me,” he said, holding out a hand. “I’ll show you to our house - if you wish, your new home.”

Her eyes went wide and wet, and she took his hand with an iron grip. He didn’t have to hear a response: the  _ yes  _ was written all over her face.

Naruto had managed to adopt another one, it seemed, and he didn’t even need to be present for it.

_ I think  _ **_you’re_ ** _ technically adopting them,  _ Shukaku said.  _ Since we’re the ones that have to do all the chatting. _

_ Please just go back to sleep,  _ Gaara thought back.  _ Your commentary is unhelpful and distracting. _

_ That,  _ Shukaku said, _ is the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. _

  
  
  
  
  


“I’m home!” Naruto called, swinging into the house through one of the upper floor windows. Gaara rolled his eyes at the dramatic entry, patting Fu’s shoulder soothingly to calm her out of the panic she’d gone into at the sudden noise. “Oh, hey! You’re here!”

“Temari and Kankuro are out,” Gaara said. “So you have no excuse not to tell me who you found.”

“Orochimaru,” Naruto said. “He’s apparently looking to play spy with Danzo for a while, or something.”

Gaara straightened up, alarmed. “He’s in the village?”

“Who’s Orochimaru?” Fu asked.

Naruto turned to her, waving a hand like the question didn’t matter. “He’s some old creep that left the village a long time ago to avoid getting in trouble. He’s back, though, and he’s trying to trade information for his life.”

“Akatsuki information,” Gaara filled in. “Which the Hokage will agree to, because we need it desperately. Dammit.” 

“Even when you swear, it’s flat,” Fu mused. “How do you do that?”

“Practice,” Naruto and Gaara answered in unison, one decidedly more sarcastic than the other. 

“What do we do?” Gaara asked, turning attention back to the topic. “Him being here means the Akatsuki is planning, right now. They’re not going to make a move, and Orochimaru will probably keep Danzo from being able to do anything significant, either.”

“We wait,” Naruto said. “You, me, all of us - we train, and we wait, and when the time comes? We fight.”

“We have no idea how long it will take for them to act,” Gaara said. “Nor do we know  _ how  _ they’ll act when they do.”

“We can’t do anything until they do, though,” Naruto pointed out. “This is our only option. As of today, I’m making a promise I won’t ever break, same as I’ve always done: I am  _ never  _ running away again.”

Gaara’s chest clenched with concern for his friend, and his hands bunched into fists as he realized it was too late to change Naruto’s mind.

Fine, then. They’d settle in. Train, and wait, and fight when the time came. 

Naruto had pulled Gaara from death too many times to count. Even if he were now walking straight into it, Gaara would go with him, head high and heart free.

He had nothing to fear in death. Naruto had given him something to live for, but he’d given him a thing to die for, as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> time skip is up next so strap in kiddos


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> act 2 begins and guess what? shit's still gay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uHHH it took five days for me to post this sorz

The thing about Naruto deciding to wait was that he hadn’t really expected it to take long.

As days turned slowly into weeks, months, then years, he realized he may have made a slight miscalculation regarding his own patience.

Luckily, he had Gaara - and the other jinchuuriki, once they’d all signed onto the plan - who kept him busy enough to not go charging straight for Danzo or the Akatsuki without a second thought. 

Not to mention, watching his friends grow up was a great chance for him, letting him learn more about them and their personalities and their history, all in ways he never would have originally.

The first time Naruto lived his life, he hadn’t faced the Akatsuki until he was a teenager, after chasing down Gaara’s captors at fifteen. 

This time, Itachi wasn’t with the Akatsuki, Orochimaru was working as a double agent, and all the jinchuuriki of the world had all but publicly declared an alliance.

Needless to say, the Akatsuki was hesitant to act, biding their time in the shadows.

They were clearly still operating, if not openly - the organization’s members marketed their services to villages as mercenaries, the only deviation from the original timeline being that they never outright associated themselves with their group, keeping their organization branding limited to their rings instead of the rather obvious coat and hat. Naruto only kept up with them by having Yagura note any mercenary dealings involving characters matching his descriptions. 

More locally, things changed as well - Orochimaru was publicly pardoned and put in ‘protective custody,’ which was a nice political way of saying he was with members of Root near constantly. It painted it like the man was being forced into a guard, but Naruto suspected that was  _ exactly  _ where the snake sage wanted to be. 

He fed Sarutobi bits and pieces of information about the Akatsuki, chalking it up to things he’d learned in his ‘brief stay’ with them or picked up from outside informants as time went by, and spent his time either in the shadows, working with Danzo to gather the information he wanted for himself, or beside the Hokage, soaking up information he could feed back to the Akatsuki.

Orochimaru hadn’t caught on to Naruto’s slight henge to his older form, the few details of Kurama’s addition helping to hide his distinct features. 

Once, he spotted Orochimaru in the street, paused mid-step to stare at him, clearly having caught view of the whisker marks across his cheeks. 

Naruto, being the absolute shit he was, simply smiled and waved and promptly body flickered away as though he’d never been there to begin with. 

Really, avoiding a man who couldn’t walk on the streets unguarded was ridiculously easy. 

In the meantime, Gaara and Naruto focused heavily on training, adding Fu to their duo for a jinchuuriki squad training regimen that made his actual genin team quite huffy.

Mostly Sasuke, but Naruto was pretty sure now-Sasuke was  _ always  _ like that. 

Prime Sasuke had been so much more intense, but also weirdly calmer. He certainly didn’t have the anger issues this one did.

Naruto guessed childhood trauma kind of put things in perspective, and then immediately felt bad about even comparing them. They were both very clearly Sasuke, alike enough at the core even with all their differences in story. 

For instance, they were both  _ bastards. _

Sasuke and Sakura had very quickly decided that jinchuuriki team training needed to be  _ general  _ team training, and so they became a five-man training squad under the rotating watchful eyes Kakashi, usually plus whatever jounin decided they wanted to watch the show.

Gai kept saying he wanted to bring a team to the game, but Naruto kept him at bay with a not-quite lie: that they would be  _ hopeless  _ with a taijutsu master as an opponent, because not a single one of them could truly physically fight.

And that was another thing that was different: skills. 

Naruto had accidentally influenced the timeline a bit by suggesting Sasuke try out swordplay as a specialty, which the guy had apparently taken as gospel, because he was rarely without a blade after that point. Other than that, pretty much everyone had done something new.

Fu and Gaara had worked together in their weird flexibility exercises until they could pretty much form human pretzels to get out of the way of incoming weapons or to get through obstacles. 

Naruto had watched them, once, climb a smooth and ridiculously tall flagpole top-to-bottom without using a single hint of chakra, and immediately decided he was never going to fight either one  _ ever  _ if it could be avoided. That kind of power was scary.

Sakura had picked a totally new path: while she had continued learning medical jutsu, she didn’t specialize in weird chakra tank healing. Instead, Naruto had remembered her work with Sasori’s poison in the prime timeline, and suggested her using her expertise to that extent. She’d immediately taken up practicing with herbology and, on the weapon end, senbon.

Gaara helped her find poisonous plants, and soon they had their own greenhouse on Naruto’s estate ground that was full of things that could either kill you or make a  _ really _ good salad, depending on who was growing it. 

Naruto was pretty sure Gaara left it mixed up like that on purpose, so no one would steal his tomatoes. Those were prime Sasuke bribes, and he guarded them like a dragon on gold. They were how he got the Uchiha to build new obstacle courses for him and Fu. Apparently the boy was very good at creating next-to-impossible paths for the two to somehow breeze through unscathed. 

Naruto himself kept to the same training he’d focused on before: ninjutsu, on a vast and dramatic scale, with a flair for the unpredictable and utterly ridiculous. Very little else suited him so well. 

The world kept changing and growing, and there were many things Naruto hadn’t even noticed happening until they were done, but only so much time could go by before it caught up to them.

In this case, that set of time was apparently six years. 

  
  
  
  
  


“I smell food.”

Naruto grunted in response to Fu’s mumble, not bothering to open his eyes. He’d felt Gaara get out of bed, earlier - the three jinchuuriki spent most nights sharing Naruto’s bed, if only so they could keep an eye on each other - but he’d more or less dismissed it. Gaara rarely slept more than a couple hours, even with eight years as a jinchuuriki again under his belt, so him giving up on listening to Naruto and Fu snore and choosing to go read or practice something or just sit in his own room meditating was rather normal for them. 

Today, though, he’d apparently decided it was a wake-up-to-breakfast day, because the sun wasn’t even fully up and food was being cooked. 

“He must’ve had that weird dream again,” Fu said, sounding a bit more awake. “The one with the wedding?”

Naruto sighed and opened his eyes, realizing his friends were not going to let him sleep in. The dream Fu was referring to was one Gaara had about once a month for a couple years, starting when his physical twelfth birthday had just passed by, leading Kankuro to dub it  _ the Gay Puberty Dream  _ and tease Gaara mercilessly for it.

Gaara had been cagey in describing it, but from what Naruto could gather, it was a vague one, where he was simply standing in a room, looking at himself in a mirror, preparing for his wedding. When he finally leaves the room to go to the altar, he wakes up just before seeing his intended spouse.

He always woke up in a good mood after it, which is what had Fu guessing it happened again. 

“Why can’t he be in a good mood during  _ daylight?”  _ Naruto whined, covering his face with a pillow. “I want to sleep past dawn! Just once!”

“You slept til noon yesterday,” Fu reminded him.

“We trained half the night, that doesn’t count.”

The bed shifted as Fu rolled out of it, and Naruto pulled the pillow back down to watch her stretch, popping her spine. 

Fu had taken Naruto’s offer of being family eagerly, and now treated him like her older brother, if with a bit more platonic bed sharing with him and Gaara than a normal sibling group. 

In six years, though, the only time they’d spent extended periods of time in their own beds had been the year and half it took for them each to pass safely to the other side of puberty. Which, by the way, had been no more fun the second time around for the boys. On the bright side, being physically fourteen was a much better way to be taken seriously than being  _ eight.  _

“I’m gonna go make sure he put meat in this breakfast,” Fu announced. “His garden’s in full bloom right now, apparently, and I don’t trust him not to just cook a buffet of vegetables.” 

A fair point, because Gaara had done it before. He was always so excited about it Fu and Naruto made sure not to comment on it at the time, but they both preferred meat in their meals, even if Gaara favored vegetarian options. 

Fu shifted, producing Chomei’s wings from her bag to fly out of the room instead of walking - her usual method of avoiding waking Temari, who was not afraid to come after her with sharp objects if woken before she deemed it appropriate. 

Naruto sat up, rolling his shoulders, and climbed out of bed himself, heading after Fu, relying on his slippers to muffle his sound for him. He wasn’t really that worried - Gaara’s cooking tended to wake everyone in the house anyway, so they wouldn’t need to be quiet for long.

“Bacon!” came Fu’s excited cry from the kitchen, her joy apparently overriding self preservation. “Gaara cooked real pork bacon, today is a good day.” 

“Woah,” Naruto said, stepping into the kitchen. “What happened? Did Danzo die? Did a new eyeliner come out?”

Gaara stared at him for a moment, before turning to Fu, eyes slowly widening. “You two forgot, didn't you?” At their blank looks, he prompted, “The chunnin exams?” 

“Shit!” Naruto cried. During the year of chaos when the Akatsuki was originally revealed, the chunnin exams had been cancelled, throwing off the schedule. Which meant now, at 14 instead of 13, Naruto’s village was the one hosting the chunnin exams. 

Which started  _ today.  _

Naruto smacked a hand into his forehead. “I can't believe I forgot! Sakura is gonna wring my neck if she finds out I tried to sleep in!”

Fu looked suddenly mischievous, and Naruto blanched. 

“Please don’t,” he begged. “I know you think she's cute when she's mad, but I'm only cute with my face in one piece.”

“I can't ask you out, though,” Fu said. “The line is too long.”

Naruto didn't even know how to respond to that. 

Luckily, Gaara did. “Judging from your lack of action this far, one could say you can't ask Sakura out, either.”

Fu sighed dramatically, draping across one of the dining chairs. “She could crush my head like a grape. I love her.” 

Naruto patted her head as he walked past, settling into a chair himself. “I'm sure she will be flattered to hear that, when you work up the courage to tell her on her and Ino’s wedding day.”

“Don't mock me. You're not this mean to Gaara about-...”

“No!” Gaara said, spinning around, pointing his spatula at Fu threateningly. “Don't say it, you'll summon her.”

Fu grinned, unrepentant. “What? Lee?”

“Are we talking about Gaara’s crush again?” Temari asked through a yawn, walking into the room. “A hundred ryo says it'll only get worse after they see each other fight in the chunnin exams. If Lee actually talks to him, he'll probably die.”

Gaara flushed, turning back to his cooking. “None of you get bacon.”

“Did I hear ‘bacon?’”

Everyone but Gaara laughed at Kankuro’s entrance, while Gaara groaned, resigning himself to the inevitable teasing of his siblings - both by blood and choice. 

  
  
  


“Morning, guys!” Naruto called, running up with his bag slung over one shoulder. He's tried his best to prepare generally, not banking everything on the same Forest of Death second test, but he had made sure to include a sealing scroll full of more serious survival items in case this chunnin exam took the same turn the last one had. 

He hoped it didn't, but he wasn't holding his breath. 

“You're late, Naruto,” Sasuke told him. “Sakura and I have been here for two hours.”

“Yeah, well, Gaara made bacon,” Naruto said. “You don't run out on bacon, Sasuke.”

Sasuke’s nose scrunched up a bit, and Naruto realized he was wasting his breath. 

“Right, you probably would, you crazy vegetarian.” Naruto looked to Sakura. “You’re with me, right?”

“Bacon grease will clog your arteries and kill you,” she told him, tone flat. “I’ll make sure to put ‘unrestrained gluttony’ as cause of death.”

Naruto snorted. “Try ‘loyal, loving friend who understands how important it is when Gaara cooks meat, especially  _ red  _ meat.’”

Sakura looked unimpressed. “The space on the form isn't that long. I'll just put Gaara down as a responsible party.”

“You can do that?”

“I'd like to see them tell me I  _ can't _ .”

Naruto shivered. Sakura was  _ scary,  _ even without earth-shattering punches. He once watched her take a shot of an antidote and then use a poisoned senbon to dig out a splinter. 

Apparently she'd needed to test the antidote anyway, but Naruto was pretty sure she just did it to prove she could. 

Naruto was saved from his internal panic by Kakashi strolling into the training field, hand up in a lazy wave. “Yo.”

“Late,” Sakura called, not a single bit of actual emotion in it. After six years on Team Kakashi, it was more a formality than anything. 

“Sorry,” Kakashi said, his usual blatant lie. “I see you're all three packed up for the second test. The first one is written, so I'll take those and give them back if you make it to the survival round at all.” 

Naruto handed over his pack gratefully, glad to be rid of it, only to laugh as Kakashi strained trying to lift it  - not that the jounin  _ couldn't,  _ he’d just clearly not expected it's weight. “I sealed a bunch of stuff, but I left most of the weapons loose,” he explained. “I fit a  _ lot  _ in there.”

“I can tell,” Kakashi muttured. “You wouldn’t happen to have a scroll I could seal  _ this  _ into…?”

Naruto grinned. “Nope! I used all my ink, and Gaara says I can only have so much a month, because he’s sick of my experiments ending up all over the living room.”

“Great.” Kakashi rocked back on his heels, looking between his students. “Good luck, brats. I’ll catch you after the first test. Try not to fail, it’ll make me look bad.”

Naruto saluted in response, and Sasuke and Sakura rolled their eyes, before the latter grabbed her boys by the elbows and started dragging them off toward the Academy for their test.

“By the way, Naruto!” Kakashi called as they left. “Fu got assigned a temporary genin team, so she’s taking part, too. Try to keep an eye on her - I’m pretty sure Anko is the proctor for one of the tests, and the last thing she needs is a jinchuuriki apprentice.” 

Naruto laughed, shooting a thumbs up back to his sensei. “No promises!”

Kakashi sighed as his students vanished into the distance. “Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say.”

  
  
  
  


Ibiki was the proctor for the first exam, just like the first time, and Naruto was so beyond excited. If things were going the same way again, he was  _ so  _ going to mess with it. 

As he read out the rules, Naruto grinned, watching all the genin around him start to slowly panic. 

This was gonna be  _ fun. _

  
  
  


The first test passed like this:

Gaara used his sand eye again to steal the correct answers, because he still wasn’t terribly great at understanding word problems. He’d then controlled his sand to creep onto his siblings’ desks, wrapping around their pencils and guiding them into writing the correct answers.

Fu didn’t understand a word of the test, and wasn’t fond of the idea of cheating, but noticed Gaara’s chakra shifting around and realized that was the whole point of the test. As such, she’d done what only she could: she asked Chomei, who asked Shukaku, who asked  _ Gaara  _ for the answers. She took the answers with a grain of salt, knowing Shukaku was probably screwing up something in the translation, but still. Some answers were better than none. 

Sakura answered the questions of her own accord, because academics had always been her strong point. Sasuke used his Sharingan to copy pencil movements, same as before. All the other teams got through more or less the same as they had the first time.

And  _ Naruto _ …

Well. Naruto did his own thing. 

  
  
  


_ That kid,  _ Ibiki thought, watching the Uzumaki brat balance his pencil on his nose.  _ He’s not even trying, is he? _

Iruka had spoken to him, before the tests started. Kakashi, too. And Shisui and Itachi Uchiha, independently of each other, and Suzume, and about a half dozen other people. 

Apparently, this was the kid’s M.O. He was lazy and scatterbrained and a nuisance, but everyone insisted he was a genius underneath that. 

_ He’ll see through your test in a second,  _ Shisui had said.  _ And he’ll find a way to fuck with it. He’s a professional pest. _

Honestly, Ibiki wasn’t sure what he expected. It certainly hadn’t been for the kid to just...not care.  _ Fucking with it  _ implied, as far as Ibiki was concerned, a degree of actual effort.

This was just…dismissal. 

It was kind of pissing him off, actually.

Just as he had made up his mind that the kid was just a generic little shit, nothing special, Naruto shifted in his seat, apparently deciding it was time to act. 

Ibiki watched in stunned silence as the kid pulled out a kunai, starting to scribble something on a tag attached to the end. If he was planning to cheat with that, it was  _ extremely  _ blatant. 

Before he could say anything, though, Naruto straightened, and without preamble,  _ chucked it  _ at Ibiki. 

Ibiki sidestepped immediately, watching the kunai stab into the chalkboard behind him - and then explode, the seal tag popping in a cloud of smoke, leaving behind…

Holy shit.

The board had the answers on it, carefully labelled by number.

“Way to go, brat,” Ibiki called. “That’s the most obvious cheating I’ve ever seen.”

Naruto grinned, and tapped the side of his nose. “Yeah, but I only cheated once. The rule was five times, right?”

Ibiki stared, processing that.

And then he  _ laughed,  _ deep and hearty. “Alright, kid. I’ll give you that one.” He looked down over his nose, face stern and serious. “But here’s the deal: you just made the first nine questions irrelevant. It’s an all-or-nothing test, now: bank it all on question ten, kids.”

He began to explain the rules to the tenth question, but kept watch on the Uzumaki kid out of the corner of his eye.

He hadn’t been overhyped, after all. A genius indeed, to find a loophole like that - and a class A pain in the ass. 

When the jounin in the lounge started the betting pool, he was putting a good sum on that kid. If anyone was going places, it would be the kid who outwitted the head of T&I while still a genin.

Odd to think about, really - looking at him, Ibiki got the strange sense that the kid was a lot more than  _ just  _ a genin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how did naruto get his answers to give out in the first place? did he come up with them himself? did gaara pass them on via the shukaku network? did he bullshit some responses and hoped no one looked too close? you decide


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the jounin think the chunin exams are a good time   
> the genin think the chunin exams are a very, very _bad_ time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uHHH this chapter deals with trauma and ptsd and panic attacks so tread lightly

The jounin commanders of the Konoha genin teams participating in the chunnin exams all looked up as the door to their hideaway opened, Ibiki stepping into the lounge with a totally blank face.

“Well?” Kurenai prompted. “Who made it?”

Ibiki stared at them, giving a moment to sweat, before breaking out in a grin. “All of them.”

Gai let out a cheer, throwing his fist into the air in celebration, and Kurenai let out a sigh of relief. Asuma leaned back into the couch as the tension bled from his shoulders, and Kakashi…

Well, Kakashi didn’t react at all, apparently the only one who had been unshakably confident in his chances. Either that, or the best at hiding his reaction. Knowing him, both were likely. 

“By the way, Kakashi,” Ibiki said, pointing a finger at the man. “I’m gonna tear you in half. You should have let me meet that kid ages ago.”

The others all turned to Kakashi, watching his visible eye crinkle with amusement. “I can’t ‘let’ Naruto do anything. He’s entirely independent. I mostly offer suggestions and wait for Sakura to force him into following them.” 

“He’s clever, he saw right through the test, and he wasn’t even  _ tempted _ to give up at the end of the test.” Ibiki took a seat across from the teachers, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. “If he passes, I’m recruiting him.”

“He won’t accept,” Kakashi said, voice dipping back down into seriousness. “Naruto isn’t a pacifist, but he’s not violent either. T&I is basically his worst nightmare.” 

“Ah, shame,” Ibiki said. “He’d be good.”

“No, he wouldn’t,” Kakashi said. “That kid has never been subtle in his life.”

Ibiki laughed. “You got me there. Let me tell you how this brat ended the first part of the test.”

The assembled jounin all leaned forward, eager to hear more stories of the wild genin’s mischief. 

Kakashi just hoped Ibiki would keep his praises limited to Naruto - the other three underestimating Sakura and Sasuke was what he was banking on for his betting wins. 

  
  
  


“‘The Forest of Death,’ huh?” Sakura murmured, looking up at the tall gates before the second test. “Ominous name. I only see trees, though. What else is in there? Trees aren’t deadly.”

“They are if you fall out of them,” Naruto pointed out. 

Sakura flipped a senbon between her fingers, and Naruto took a step back to stand slightly behind Sasuke. 

“Moron,” Sasuke muttered, before straining up on his toes a bit to get a better view of the forest. “There’s probably animals in there to worry about, or natural hazards. Mainly we’re just going to have to worry about the other teams, though. No rules against killing means they’ll be going all-out, and we’re gonna have to meet them halfway.” He paused, before looking to Sakura. “But-...”

“Paralytics only,” she said, holding up the senbon she’d been toying with as a threat. “I don’t want anyone getting killed here. I have poisons, but they’re emergency use only, and I have antidotes for them.”

Sasuke nodded. “I can keep weapons and taijutsu nonlethal easily.”

Both of them looked to Naruto, then. 

“What?” he asked. “Oh, come on, guys. I'm not gonna hurt anybody.” At their skeptical looks, he sighed, pulling out a scroll and passing it over. “There. Those are all the  _ fun  _ seal tags. You’re both spoilsports.”

All three of them knew full well that Naruto had blank tags and would use them if pressed, so no one really argued beyond that. Let any eavesdroppers think they were weak - it would only help them. 

“Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, and Fu are all in there, too,” Sakura said. “If we run into them, don't back down.”

“Oh, hell no,” Naruto said. “I still owe Gaara a rematch from our last spar.” 

Sasuke frowned. “The one from when we were  _ nine?  _ Seriously?”

“Were we nine? Or still eight?” Naruto waved a hand. “Time isn't real, Sasuke. He cheated and I'm gonna kick his ass.”

“Didn't he say once you could beat him easily using chakra?” Sakura asked, thinking back. “It should be fine, then.”

“Uh, no,” Naruto said. “Gaara’s super humble, so he downplayed his skill. He's ruthless in a fight. We're pretty well matched. Plus, he and Fu have been doing their weird acrobatics stuff, and I'm pretty sure he could backflip over me and stab me on the way down.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Honestly? Tactics-wise, I want to make a fast track to wherever Team Guy is and follow them around. A Byakugan user could find the scrolls and tower easily, and we have a perfect distraction if Gaara shows up.”

“That's Lee’s team, then?” Sakura asked. “I saw him the other day in the hospital getting more bandages for his arms. I think he's more bruise than skin under there, most days.”

“I watched him punch a rock until his knuckles broke, once,” Sasuke offered. “And then he got upset because he couldn't support himself on a broken hand for pushups, so he ran twice his usual laps instead.”

Sakura winced. “Doesn't he already do, like, 300?”

“ _ 500 _ . Made a full 984 before he threw up. I was impressed.”

Naruto laughed. “Good thing Gaara hasn't actually spoken to him in years. I'm pretty sure he'd explode if he saw that. He'd mother hen the hell out of him.”

“I heard my name?”

Naruto turned to grin at Gaara, where he and his siblings had approached them. “My brother, my friend, light of my life. We were just talking about your super hardcore crush on Lee.”

Temari looked intrigued, but Kankuro tugged on her sleeve. “Don't get friendly, we’re gonna have to kick their asses soon.”

“We’re probably going to be made to fight at some point,” Gaara said. “Probably one on one in the final stage of exams. Everyone wants to see which of us would win - You, me, and Fu are known as the Demon Children of Konoha, apparently. Which is rude, because even if Fu accepted Konoha citizenship, I am still a Suna shinobi.”

“Only in name, Gaara,” Naruto told him, reaching out to pat his shoulder. “At heart, you're stuck in the leaves like the rest of us.”

“But I hate trees,” Gaara muttered. “I prefer tiny plants.”

He cupped his hands, as though trying to illustrate a small pot, like the ones that housed his succulents. 

“Gaara,” Naruto said. “You are adorable. Please never change.”

“I'm going to set you on fire and replace my sand with your ashes.”

“Still cute.”

“Start running.”

  
  
  
  
  


“Isn't that the Suna nin team that lives with Naruto, over there?” Tenten asked, nodding where the team was gathered. “Lee, look. It's the redhead you're obsessed with.”

Lee flushed, staring at Tenten in horror. “Tenten! Please do not say such things when others can hear them. My affections for Gaara-san shall be my own up until such a time as I am worthy to present them to him!”

“So you're going to pine from a distance until it's too late, and then kill yourself over-training,” Neji said. “Good to know. Try and get through the exams, first, though. Finding a new team would be a hassle.”

Tenten elbowed him hard in the side, leaving him to double over in pain as she smiled at Lee. “When you want to talk to him up close, let me know! I want to bug Naruto about his seals. Suzume-sensei saw one of my practice scrolls in a kunoichi class once and said something about him being  _ great  _ with seals, and I've been dying to talk to him since.” 

“Then why have you not?” Lee asked. “Naruto is a very kind person, from what I have seen. I am sure he would be happy to help.”

“Cause he's always with his team or his friends,” she said. “And that's too many intimidating people to talk to at once. I'm pretty sure they could all kill me without breaking a sweat.” She held up a hand to halt Lee before he could protest. “Not that they would! I'd just rather deal with them alone than as a group. Or at least talk to Naruto without Sasuke around. That kid is a  _ mess _ .”

“He's the guard dog, right?” Neji murmured. “He's supposedly a combat master, with that sword of his, plus all his throwing weapons. It would interesting to see him face you, Lee.”

Lee perked up. “Me? Surely he would be more suited to you, Neji.”

“I'm more interested in fighting the medic-nin, Sakura.” Neji activated his Byakugan, studying the girl from a distance. “She supposedly has completely mastery over her own chakra flow, as well as a skill in manipulating others’. Apparently she has her own personally designed poison that can block a chakra channel, just like my Byakugan.”

“Okay, then,” Tenten said. “I'll take Naruto, Lee gets Sasuke, Neji gets Sakura, and we’ll pound Team Kakashi into the ground. Guy-sensei would be so proud.”

  
  
  
  


In the jounin lounge, Might Guy sneezed.

“Gross,” Kakashi said, leaning away, reaching in an arc around the man’s space to hand his money over to Suzume, who was the only one they trusted to be an impartial mediator for their betting pool. 

“Someone disinfect him, please,” Suzume muttered, tentatively accepting the money, pinching it daintily with two fingers even though she was already wearing gloves. 

“A good practice in general, probably,” Kakashi said. “I’m not sure where he’s been.” 

Guy puffed up, looking to Kakashi in an over-exaggerated show of offense. “My rival, you wound me! Health and personal hygiene are most important things for a shinobi to be aware of, and I most certainly do not slack in either!”

Kakashi didn’t bother responding to that, just started passing on his bets to Suzume. 

He was going to make so much off of his brats - maybe he’d treat them to some dinner, after. 

Or not. Feeding Naruto was a good way to go broke. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Ten paces back and three to the left,” Sakura murmured to her teammates, pulling out a few senbon between her fingers. “Only two - the other one must be hiding.”

“Two ahead and four to the right,” Naruto filled in. “They’re masked, but not well enough to get by Kurama.”

Sasuke grabbed the handle of his sword - a long ōdachi blade that Naruto was half certain Sasuke chose just to look cool - and sped up a bit, getting to the head of their group. “Are we waiting for them, or making a move?”

Naruto grinned, pulling out a kunai with a seal tag on the end, holding it loosely to be able to throw at a moment’s notice. “I vote we act first.”

“I don’t want to know what that tag does, do I?” Sakura asked. “You and Sasuke can get the two behind us, I’ll get the stealthy one.”

Their plan decided, the three split up without hesitation, each going for their chosen target. 

The real fun had begun.

  
  
  
  


Gaara was having a hard time keeping his breathing even. 

When they first entered the forest, he’d been slightly uneasy, worried about facing other teams in honest fights for the first time since his return to childhood. Eight years now, he’d been a growing as his younger self, and he hadn’t fought anyone he wasn’t well matched with in that time. Not a single person who didn’t trust him completely, nor a person who he would actually harm in any way. 

The idea of looking into another’s eyes and seeing  _ fear  _ again hurt him deeply. 

He tried to let it go, knowing Naruto would be fighting the same reluctance - possibly worse, as Gaara had the benefit of foreign territory to make the wounds less raw - but it kept rising up, catching with his breath in his throat. 

“Gaara,” Temari murmured, falling back from Kankuro’s side to walk beside him. “You’ve been looking nervous since we got in this forest. What’s going on? You train with Naruto in the woods all the time, so it’s not the trees.” 

Gaara shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Temari couldn’t completely understand - she still only new a small part of Gaara’s story, only the points she’d witnessed firsthand - but she followed well enough to empathize, putting a hand on his shoulder in comfort. “Everyone in this forest is consenting to a fight,” she told him. “It’s just a test, not a bloodbath. You don’t have to do more than knock someone out for a few hours, if you don’t want to. We could probably get away with just dodging the other teams, with our skill. We’re miles ahead of a regular genin and you know it.” She pulled her hand back to toss it back in a light, friendly punch to Gaara’s arm. “We’ll keep feelers out for Naruto and Fu’s teams. Maybe one of them will have our scroll.”

Gaara shook his head. “They’d want to save our fights to the final round, so that spectators could watch. It’s more interesting that way, and gives people time to make bets.”

“I don’t see why anyone would throw their money away on a bet like that,” Temari said. “Hey, Kankuro. If you had to bet, who would win: Fu, Naruto, or Gaara?”

“Gaara!” Kankuro called back easily. “That’s not sibling loyalty, either. Gaara’s the only one who plays dirty.” 

Gaara scoffed. “You need to spend more time with Fu. I once saw her make herself cry to stop Naruto coming after her. She destroyed him with tear tracks down her cheeks and then laughed in his face.”

“Sounds about right,” Temari said. “I love that girl.”

“Me, too.” 

Gaara tipped his head back, looking up at the sky through the trees. 

The first time he’d stepped into this forest, he’d stepped out bloody and beaten, with a thirst for blood and the first inklings of self-doubt. He’d ended up making the greatest friend of his life, and reforming his entire sense of self - but not without leaving a blood trail in his wake.

He couldn’t wash his hands of those deaths, even if he was in a timeline where they never came to pass, but Naruto had never seen him as past redemption. He was like that, Naruto: blindly hopeful, caring to a fault, trying to pull people from the wreckage of their own failures no matter what damage he did to himself in the process. 

Gaara clenched his firsts and his jaw, staring ahead into the woods with sudden determination. 

He didn’t care about his scores or ranking, not when he and Naruto had loftier goals than promotions and pay rates. What he did care about, though, was proving that he - and his friends, his family, the others that shared his burdens - could be  _ human,  _ even when it would be easier to just give in to the monsters. 

_ Shukaku,  _ Gaara called out, in his mind.  _ Tell Kurama to keep an eye on Naruto, please. He’s probably dealing with bad memories, too. _

_ Don’t worry,  _ the Ichibi said back, sounding uncharacteristically serious.  _ The fox is already on the job. Focus on getting that dumb scroll thing and winning this - if you get beat to the middle by one of those other brats, I’m keeping you awake for a month. _

Gaara laughed to himself, speeding up, ignoring the relieved looks of his siblings as he perked back up to his normal self. 

_ I have family,  _ he thought, chest swelling with joy.  _ I’ll never be alone again. Naruto made sure of it. _

  
  
  
  


“Are you boys done yet?” Sakura called, dropping down out a tree branch to stand next to her teammates, an unconscious Iwa genin slung over one shoulder. “You’re making a lot of noise.”

The genin fighting Sasuke stopped struggling to push the Uchiha’s sword back with a kunai, instead ducking under it to run toward Sakura, eyes locked on the body over her shoulder. “Jun!”

Sasuke turned around, looking wildly offended, and brought the hilt of his sword down into the back of the younger shinobi’s neck to knock him unconscious. “Don’t ignore an  _ enemy _ , moron.” 

Sakura laughed at him, setting her own captured genin - ‘Jun,’ apparently - next to the other on the grass. “There’s two. Where’s-...?”

An ear-splitting shriek froze both of them in their place.

While it most certainly wasn’t Naruto, they were not comforted by it.

“He won’t react well to that,” Sasuke muttered, looking off into the direction of the noise. “Jirai?”

Sakura nodded to confirm it, and they both took off in search of Naruto.

‘Jirai’ - a landmine. Their codeword for a situation where they would have to approach their teammate delicately, because he could be in one of  _ those  _ mindsets: the blind panicked ones, that they never really understood but that always hurt them to see, where Naruto became confused and disoriented and bone-shakingly  _ terrified  _ of seemingly nothing. 

Sure enough, when they found their friend, he had the signature look on his face of one of those times. 

He had the other kid, the genin, pinned, with a kunai next to his throat. He’d likely meant it to be a symbolic threat, and would have simply made a joke and knocked the kid out once it was clear he’d won, but the kid had screamed.

Naruto’s eyes were glassy and distant, and something deep in them seemed  _ shattered,  _ like that scream had pierced right through his usual indifference. 

“Shit,” Sasuke swore, before darting forward, running to Naruto’s side, crouching down so they were eye to eye.

His Sharingan activated and bore into Naruto, spirals spinning as he attempted to drag Naruto back out of his own head - or knock him out, whichever was easiest.

Sakura tossed a senbon coated in paralytic to take down the kid, not wanting him in the way, before joining her teammate. 

“He’s completely gone,” Sasuke grit out. “He’s  _ never  _ been this bad. I need…” He looked to Sakura. “I don’t know. I don’t know how to help him, when it’s this intense.”

She frowned, watching him for a moment. 

Then, quietly, she suggested, “Kurama does.”

Sasuke caught her meaning and nodded, sharply, turning back to Naruto.

Putting all his energy into his Sharingan, he looked  _ through  _ Naruto, searching out the person he really needed to speak to.

One second, there was nothing, leaving him worrying he was trying something pointless - and the next, he was in a foot of tepid water, staring up into the cold red eyes of a massive fox. 

He’d found Kurama, after all.

  
  
  
  


Kurama whipped his tails irritably, with the exception of the one that curled around his side, holding his jinchuuriki against him, comforting the kid as best he could. 

Naruto’s form, when he’d dropped into their mindspace, had been twisted and broken, and Kurama had recognized the distorted figure for the person it was trying to mirror.

Kaguya. Naruto’s mind was painting him like he was the monster who had destroyed the Earth, all because of one small scream. 

Sasuke stood looking around the mindscape, eyes wide. “Where is he?” Sasuke asked. “Where is Naruto? Is he down here, too?” 

“Well,  _ I  _ didn’t chose this place,” Kurama drawled. “I haven’t seen this damn sewer in a while. He’s usually more for...green.” 

“So he’s really shaken,” Sasuke extrapolated. “How can I help? What can we do? Damn it, what even  _ happened?”  _

Kurama growled at the Uchiha as tiny Sharingan eyes fixed on him. “It’s this shitty forest,” he spat. “Dragging up...let’s just say  _ bad memories.  _ That kid screamed and it launched Naruto right back down into the headspace I haven’t seen since…”

_ Since you died,  _ Kurama wanted to say, but there was no way to make that make sense to the brat without giving away Naruto’s secrets. Instead, he just sighed. “I haven’t seen it in a long time, is all. I can’t help him with you here, though. He won’t want you to see.”

Sasuke frowned. “Naruto is important to me! I’m not going to leave him when he needs my help.”

“He  _ doesn’t,”  _ Kurama said. “He  _ needs  _ a second to think, and to get himself under control. All you being here does is make him that much more stressed.” 

“Let me see him,” Sasuke said. “If I see him, I’ll go.”

Kurama thrashed his tails again, anger boiling. “Fine! See if I care when you ruin your own friendship, after this.” Before Sasuke could press further, he moved his tails back, revealing Naruto’s shaking form against the fur of his side.

Sasuke stumbled back a step, eyes widening in shock at what he saw. 

Naruto’s hair had spilled down in long and rough gold strands, the tips streaked with red like splatters of blood. The Sage-style cloak Kurama painted him in so often draped over his shoulders, but it was frayed and full of holes. His hands curved in broken shapes, nails sticking out as rough and uneven claws, and his posture was held tense and sharp.

More than any of that, his face was somewhere in line with his feral beast mode, whisker marks splitting across his cheeks in angry black lines, lips twisted in a snarl around sharp teeth, and worst of all, red eyes with slitted pupils and black sclera.

“Wh-what’s wrong with him?” Sasuke stuttered out. “What  _ happened _ ?” 

“Congratulations, Sasuke,” Kurama sneered down at him. “You’re finally getting to see exactly how Naruto sees himself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didnt mean for it to cliffhanger on drama but i mean. they are in charge of themselves man i just write this


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> someone: naruto youre so strong and powerful  
> naruto: thanks its the Trauma™

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chap was gonna be longer but i couldnt resist ending where i did lmao  
> also have fun  
> warning for naruto's brain being a Mess + survivors guilt like hell

Screams echoed in his ears, a child’s voice turning to the chorus of thousands. Reanimated dolls of shinobi who had once fought at his side were falling around him every time his eyes closed, and when they were open he could see nothing but the blur of his own tears and the dark orange fire of Kurama’s fur. 

Someone was speaking - maybe multiple people, he had no way of knowing. All he knew was he’d fallen back into that time, into those hellish days after Sasuke’s death, into the time that had made him so desperate for a second chance that he sought to break the flow of time itself. 

He heard Sasuke’s voice calling to him, and let out a helpless whine, burying his face into the soft fur beside him. “I hear him,” he sobbed. “Kurama, I can  _ hear  _ him.”

The rumbling beneath the fur told him he'd been answered, but the words were lost to him. 

“Open your eyes,” Sasuke called to him. “You’re safe here, Naruto. It's your own head, no one else can hurt you.”

"Kai,” Naruto whispered, pulsing his chakra, trying to find some way to stop the phantom voice. “Kurama, help.”

Kurama was growling, Naruto could feel it. He was angry, the rage forming a cloud around him that felt suffocating. 

What had angered the fox…?

“You didn't hurt anyone,” the spectre of Sasuke said. “Everyone is okay. We need you to get through this.”

“Don't lie to me!” Naruto finally looked up from the water, glaring to Sasuke’s ghost form. “I  _ killed him!” _

Sasuke looked shocked, and stumbled back a step, and Naruto realized why the scene was odd to him. 

Sasuke was not dressed like he'd been on the battlefields of the end, nor was he the sharply angled man of his adulthood. 

This was a child, a teen. This was the  _ new  _ Sasuke. 

“...Sasuke,” Naruto breathed. “How…?”

“Sharingan,” Kurama said. “He broke in. Good to see you're coming back around, kit.”

“What do you mean?” Naruto looked between the bijuu and his friend, awareness slowly creeping back to him. “...Oh. Oh God, the kid. Did I-..?”

“You froze up and Sakura knocked him out,” Kurama said. “I’m sure he’ll be super fucking embarrassed by that scream when he wakes up, but other than that? He’ll be fine.”  

“What happened, Naruto?” Sasuke asked. “We heard him scream, and then we found you panicking. I couldn’t tell what scared him, or what got to you.”

Naruto pursed his lips, and looked down, shoulders hunching over. “I have a jutsu that lets me move fast - even faster than a body flicker. When he ran, I tagged him and used it. One second he was by himself, hiding under a tree, and the next, I had him pinned. It scared the hell out of him.” He rubbed at his neck, nervous. “I...I haven’t heard someone scream like that since-...” He paused, biting down on the story, because Sasuke didn’t  _ know  _ that. “Well, in a while. It took me out for a minute.” He stood, and focused his effort on shifting his form out of the twisted adult one, into the child that Sasuke would expect to see. “I’m better, now. We can go back. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Sasuke said, crossing the space between them to put his hands on Naruto’s shoulders. “I don’t know what you saw when you were a kid that made you scared like this, but I can tell it’s not cowardice. You aren’t getting scared of what’s happening - you’re getting scared of something that  _ already _ happened. Any time you need to step back, let me and Sakura know. We’ll cover you. That’s what a team is  _ for.”  _

Naruto smiled through the burn of threatening tears, and dragged Sasuke into a hug. “Thank you, Sasuke. I love both of you, you know that?”

Sasuke’s shoulder muscles tensed up under Naruto’s hands for a moment, before relaxing again as he returned the hug. “Shut up, idiot. Of course we know. You love  _ everybody.  _ You’re good like that.”

“Not everybody,” Naruto breathed, more to himself than anything, thoughts of those he needed to take down - Danzo, Kaguya, Zetsu, maybe Orochimaru - flickering behind his eyes. “Just the ones who deserve it.”

  
  
  
  
  


“What are your boys up to, there?”

Sakura looked up, instantly on guard, even as she recognized the voice calling down to her from one of the nearby trees. “Nothing you need to worry about, Ino,” she said. “Naruto’s just having a hard time right now, and Sasuke is trying to pull him back out of it.” 

“Well, it’s good, then,” Ino said, hopping down out of the tree and approaching her once-best friend, now a sort of tepid rival who she occasionally hung out with anyway. “Shikamaru said we’ve probably got the same scroll, so they thought hunting you down would be a waste of time, so I’ve got them hanging back where we camped out.” 

Sakura’s shoulders slumped as she caught the message. “You’re going to try and take my scroll why the boys are busy?” she asked. “What makes you think I have it?”

“Naruto is notoriously clumsy,” Ino said. “And Sasuke has a firecracker temper. You’re the best choice for guarding that scroll and we all know it.”

“All the better reason  _ not  _ to carry it.”

Ino grinned. “I don’t really care. Even if I just pound you into the dirt, it’ll slow you down enough I’ll beat you out this round. 

Sakura sighed, and rolled her shoulders, warming up her muscles as she pushed to stand up. 

“I’m a range fighter,” Ino reminded her. “You’re not gonna be able to get me with those senbon.”

Sakura grinned, quirking an eyebrow. “Who said I would use senbon?”

She took the baffled look on her friend’s face as the opportunity to dip her hands into her weapon pouch and pull out a pair of gloves, which she then made a show of sliding on.

Across the knuckles was a band of textured metal, and Ino didn’t even really have to see them to figure out there were micro-sized needles coating the surface.

“Come on, then,” Sakura said, shifting into a taijutsu fighting stance. “Show me just how ahead of you I got in those extra years since graduating.”

The taunt had its intended effect: Ino scowled, frustrated at the mention of the start of her inferiority complex toward Sakura, and launched forward to make her first move. 

In Naruto’s original timeline, Sakura had developed strength that could shatter the earth in a single punch, after putting in years of rigorous training. 

Ino Yamanaka had never put in that study time, but her level strength had been feared in its own right. She had been able to tackle men three times her size, throw boulders, break bones without flinching - all out of natural, raw strength. 

Ino in the new timeline was no different, just younger. Sakura knew that - so she knew she would need to avoid getting hit as much as possible, because her body could only take so much. Her endurance had never reached Naruto or Sasuke’s level, even with all the time she spent training with jinchuuriki as opponents. 

Lucky for her, though, she was fairly hard to hit.

She leapt back from the first punch easily enough, the move more of a gauging act than an actual attack. As she touched down on the grass safely, she spared one last glance to her friends.

Naruto had tear tracks down his face, and Sasuke’s eyebrows were pinched together, but their eyes were both blank. Still in his head, then - she’d have to be careful not to take her fight too close to them, but also stay close enough she could help if Sasuke needed her.

“Hey!” Ino called, snapping Sakura’s attention back to her. “Focus, here. I’ve been waiting to kick your butt for  _ years.”  _

Sakura grinned, and would have cracked her knuckles if she could without stabbing herself on poisoned needles. Not that her own paralytic did much to her - she was more or less immune to it, thanks to near constant exposure and frequent accidental doses.

(She blamed Naruto. Even for the ones he wasn’t around for. She was clearly contagious, and making her a clutz by association.)

In lieu of a physical show of posturing, she tossed a grin at Ino, holding up one fist to show off the needles in the glinting sunlight. “You’re gonna have to wait a few more. I don’t have time to play today.”

Ino began making fast handsigns, and Sakura took just enough notice to see it was an earth jutsu before quickly calling up a retaliation. 

Ino’s jutsu pulled up a series of small stones from the ground, all glowing with chakra, which she then launched at Sakura - only for them to get caught in the stream of water she’d pulled from a nearby puddle, and get flicked back toward her. 

Ino dodged all but one, which she reached up and snatched out of the air, before throwing it like a ball.

“What, is this catch?” Sakura muttered, but didn’t get the chance to taunt her opponent louder.

Ino formed a new handsign, and the rock coming toward her shattered, splintering into sharp stone pieces. 

Sakura couldn’t dodge that many - it just wasn’t possible - and she didn’t move fast enough to be able to block them. Instead, she cut her losses, hitting the ground and rolling out of the way of the brunt of the attack, blocking the majority of her body with her left arm, which was immediately set aflame with pain as the stones sunk into their target. 

“Good one,” she grunted, resisting the urge to start plucking stones out and healing herself. Fighting one-handed would be rough, but she didn’t have time to get distracted.

Naruto was going to be back to lucidity any minute, and she couldn’t let him wake up to a fight. Who knows what kind of guilt complex he’d give himself over  _ that.  _

A thought occurred to her, then, and a plan formed, making her smile to herself. As subtly as she could, she pulled out a vial from her kunai pouch, treating her injured arm with it. 

“You don’t have time to heal yourself, Forehead,” Ino called. 

Sakura twitched. Oh, Ino was going  _ down.  _

Ino straightened in shock as Sakura charged her for the first time, swinging her needle-coated right hand in a punch. Ino immediately sidestepped to dodge-...

...to the  _ left.  _

Sakura almost felt bad, for winning on the first move, but she really didn’t have time for this.

Ino’s eyes went wide as her limbs began to lock, her mind racing to catch up with the split second actions that finished her fight.

When she’d dodged, Sakura hadn’t followed through with the punch, shifting her weight instead to her mostly-numb left arm, body slamming Ino with her injured side.

“I didn’t treat the wound,” Sakura told her. “I poisoned the rocks.”

Sure enough, as Sakura stepped back, Ino felt the stones that had been sticking up from Sakura’s skin slowly pop back out of her body, and marvelled at the genius even as she dropped to the ground, frozen.

Sakura took a deep breath, and reached into her kunai pouch, pulling out one of Naruto’s sealing scrolls. She nudged Ino to roll her onto her back, and set the scroll across the girl’s forehead, blocking her vision slightly.

“There’s an antidote sealed in there,” Sakura said. “In case Shikamaru comes back for you before that wears off. I really can’t take time right now. Naruto needs me.”

“Wow, did you guys fight?” 

Sakura straightened, turning to look at her teammate, who had spoken at the use of his name. “Naruto! You’re okay!”

“Uh, yeah, sorry about that,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sasuke had to come get me, even. How embarrassing. I think this team had the scroll we need, though, so we should be good to head to the center.”

Sakura nodded, heading after them, leaving Ino to stew quietly in the dirt.

  
  
  
  
  
  


A few hours later, Shikamaru would come by, lean over Ino, and say, “I told you so.”

Ino, to her credit, wouldn’t argue. He wasn’t wrong.

She would just look up at him, yell at him to give her the antidote, and quietly start planning to kick Sakura’s ass at some other time, when they were on slightly more even ground. Sakura was years ahead of her in experience, and trained with  _ jinchuuriki -  _ of course she couldn’t win in a head on brawl.

She could win in other ways, though, and she  _ would.  _

She wondered if this was what Sasuke felt, all the time trying to take Naruto down a peg.

She kind of liked it.

  
  
  
  


_ Don’t panic,  _ Shukaku said, which immediately made Gaara want to panic.  _ Seriously, chill out. Naruto is fine-... _

_ What happened?  _ Gaara thought back, urgently. That was a very specific statement to make, and Shukaku never said things like that without a reason.

_ He panicked,  _ Shukaku said.  _ Kurama says he looked like a hot mess for a second, but that kid Sukebe dragged him out of it.  _

It took Gaara a second to understand who Shukaku meant.  _ It’s Sasuke. _

_ What did I say? _

Gaara rolled his eyes.  _ Please just tell me what happened. _

_ Okay, fine,  _ Shukaku sighed.  _ Apparently, according to Kurama…. _

As Gaara listened, he decided he was going to make a really nice dinner for Naruto and Sasuke at some point.

And perhaps sweets for Sakura. She deserved some reprieve from her living headaches of a team.

  
  
  
  


Fu stretched, looking up at the building that served as the finish line of their forest test. “This place looks like shit,” she declared. “I’m pretty sure it’s gonna collapse.”

“I think it may be a genjutsu,” one of her assigned teammates said, eyeing it cautiously. 

“Is it? I can never tell.” She cracked her chakra, trying to dispel any cloaking jutsu. Sure enough, a much more stable building lay hidden underneath the creaky deathtrap she’d seen from afar. “Oh, man, cool. You’d think living with Naruto ‘I henge every ten minutes’ Uzumaki would make me notice stuff like that, but here I am, getting confused by- Oh look! There’s Sakura!”

Fu took off into the distance, probably going to great her roommate and his team, even though they were still too far away for the other two members of her ‘team’ to see. 

“This is an interesting type of guard mission,” the other teammate said, tone even and aloof. The older teammate knew that tone, though - it was the Root voice, the one he used when he was worried about how well he appeared to be doing, because inside he was actually feeling and thinking independently.

“Don’t worry, Sai,” Kabuto said, watching Fu’s green hair disappear into the woods. “Orochimaru-sama never explained to me why he took you and your brother onto his team, but he takes care of his subordinates. He has a reason for making us watch her, I’m sure.”

Sai sighed, looking up to the building where the test would complete. “I wish she would have at least gone in with us, first. I’d quite like to be finished with this forest, if I’m honest.”

“I know what you mean,” Kabuto agreed. “I can’t help but feel like I’m being watched, in here.”

  
  
  


From the shadows, a lone frog retreated, fleeing the woods. Master Jiraiya would want a report on this. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter starts phase 3 aka 1v1 matches and hoo boy are you in for a treat


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's hear who gets to fight and then provide more exposition bc author likes to create dramatic tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh,,,, drama

“Eighteen of you made it through, huh?” Genma drawled, looking over the genin finalists. “That’s messy - we’re gonna have one match too many.”

His eyes stopped for a second on Fu, and he twitched.

“Maybe not.”

Those damn jounin sensei and their betting pools. He was certain they set up this on purpose - no way a three way jinchuuriki match wasn’t in the books.  _ Maybe I’ll get lucky,  _ he thought,  _ and one of them would lose a preliminary match. _

As he watched, the green-haired girl looked over to Naruto, shooting him a rude hand gesture, and then caught the shuriken he tossed her way with a finger through the center. 

_ Yeah, not likely. _

“Okay, kids,” he called, getting their attention. “We’re gonna pair everybody off for individual matches. If we’d have known this many people were getting through, we would have set up a preliminary qualifier, but whatever. Too late now.” He held up the paper in his hand, with the setup for the matches. “Between tests, someone apparently worked out a schedule for this thing, so I’m going to tell you who each of you will be fighting. You’ll have until tomorrow to prepare for it, and then we’re gonna meet back here and the fun will begin.” He looked to the paper, scanning its arranged matches. “Okay, here goes. First match will be...Sakura Haruno, and Shino Aburame.” 

Naruto nudged Sakura with his elbow. “Bug boy.”

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. “Good. I’m the only one on this team that isn’t a huge baby.”

Sasuke frowned at the insinuation. “I just don’t like spiders.”

“ _ Babies.”  _

Genma was reminded for a moment of his own genin team, with Ebisu and Guy, and felt a deep sympathy for the girl. He knew how rough it was to be the designated sane one. 

“Next match,” he announced. “Neji Hyuuga vs Choji Akimichi.” 

He glanced up to see both boys nod, and took the reprieve from commentary as a blessing.

“...Most of you are Konoha genin,” Genma observed. “So screw last names. You all know who you’re up against, and spectators will get programmes. Third match is Hinata and Sai.” 

Naruto looked to the side, eyes landing on Sai for the first time, and he took a moment of contained blank staring before turning to shoot Hinata a thumbs up for good luck.

She almost passed out.

_ Kids,  _ seriously.

“Fu and Temari,” Genma called out, and barely got the second name out before Fu had a fist in the air, cheering in victory.

“Yes! Hell yes! That’s gonna be so  _ fun!  _ Her fans can  _ kick my ass  _ if she plans it right! It’s gonna be so hard to beat her, oh man, this is gonna  _ rule.  _ I’m-...” 

She cut off, suddenly catching sight of the fact that all eyes were on her, patiently waiting for her to pipe down and let Genma continue.

“...Sorry.” 

Genma watched her step quietly back into line, face burning, and pushed on. “Ino and Tenten.” Once again, a nod was the only response he got. “Okay. Kiba and Kankuro.”

Kakuro straightened up, nudging Gaara. “Which one is Kiba?”

“What the hell, man?” Kiba called, straightening up, Akamaru barking at his side in echoed offense. “How do you not know who I am? You’ve lived in this village for  _ six years!”  _

Kankuro shrugged. “I’m a homebody. I don’t go outside.”

Kiba fumed, and Genma made a point to clear his throat and announce the next match quickly.

“Sasuke and Kabuto.” 

“ _ No.”  _

Genma looked up, startled at the harsh growl, and looked to Naruto just as everyone else did.

“What do you mean, ‘no?’” Sasuke asked. “You don’t even know him.”

Naruto’s jaw clenched, and Genma narrowed his eyes. He  _ knew  _ that look - that was a look he’d seen on a lot of missions, when the leader had to choose between pushing ahead for the sake of the mission or hanging back for the sake of the team.

What did Naruto know? Sai and Kabuto were both wildcards, but Genma knew they’d been assigned to Fu as guards by Root. 

Root, the organization that had a reputation for being a few steps to the left of proper, and filled with half-mad orphans and clan rejects that would kill a man without a thought if Danzo marked them, even if he were a teammate.

Or, so he’d heard. He’d heard a lot of things about Root - not all of them could be believed, obviously, but Tenzo had been in it once, and that kid was  _ fucked up.  _ No way there wasn’t something sketchy behind that. 

If Sai and Kabuto were Root, and Naruto didn’t want Sasuke fighting them...what did that say about Naruto’s knowledge?

There was a beat of heavy silence, before Naruto leaned back, hand behind his head. “Ah, ah! Sorry, I was just sort of hoping to fight Sasuke for my match, y’know? Heh.”

_ This kid,  _ Genma thought, watching him closely.  _ He delivered that pretty honestly, for being completely full of shit. _

Everyone seemed to accept the explanation, rolling their eyes or sighing or - in Sakura’s case - delivering a smack to the back of the boy’s head. 

Genma would have to keep an eye on that particular situation. 

“Naruto, you’re fighting Shikamaru.”

Naruto perked up, seeming interested, but he didn’t get a chance for more commentary before a strangled noise came from the end of the line.

_ You’ve got to be kidding me,  _ Genma thought, looking over to Gaara.  _ Why are all these kids so weird? _

Gaara’s face was pale, and Genma wasn’t sure, but thought his hands might be trembling slightly.

“Uh,” Genma started, hesitant. “Gaara, you’re the last match, against-...”

“Rock Lee.”

Genma blinked. “...Yeah.”

Lee, toward other end of the line, stood up straight, a grin stretching his face. “I am glad you remember my name, Gaara-san! I will be most honored to face you and see if I have trained well enough to stand against your rumored vast skillset!”

Gaara gave a weak nod, looking a little bit like he might pass out.

“Okay,” Genma drawled, deciding it was time to do some digging. “You’re all dismissed until dawn tomorrow. Try not to duke it out on your own, people are really looking forward to seeing a few of you get pounded into the dirt.”

The genin split up and headed away in groups, and Genma tried not to stare after the jinchuuriki team as Fu and Naruto rushed to Gaara’s side, gripping either one of his hands in their own. 

Those three...something was up, there, and Genma was dying to find out what.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Guy had a reputation for being noisy and ostentatious, and so many people assumed he was unobservant and incapable of subtlety. 

They were wrong.

Guy wore his smile and loud personality like Kakashi wore his mask - a comfort and a part of him, sure, but also there to keep people from looking too deep.

He noticed a lot more than people gave him credit for, under it. 

Which is why, when the matches were announced, he made sure to pay close attention to his team’s opponents.It’s why he had a hawk’s eye locked to their facial expressions. It’s why the second they broke off to prepare, he flagged down the one in particular whose reaction had caught his attention, and his curiosity.

Gaara, the Suna shinobi and jinchuuriki who had lived with Naruto as a foster brother for years, had looked  _ destroyed  _ at the idea of fighting Lee. That wasn’t a look that made any sense to him, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it. 

“Young Gaara!” Guy announced himself, stopping in front of the child. “Would you do me the honor of speaking to me for a moment?”

The redhead looked up with an oddly flat look, the stoicism he was renowned for showing itself again, but the look in his eyes was still there. The match announcement had shaken him.

Was Lee a concern, for him? Guy knew Lee valued Gaara as an idol - maybe he was afraid that Lee had trained well enough to beat him. 

Somehow, that didn’t seem like it would be the case. Lee could be strong enough to beat him, or not, but this....this was something else.

“Naruto, Fu,” Gaara said, monotoned voice taking Guy slightly by surprise. “Give me a moment?”

“Call us if you need us,” the girl said, nudging Naruto and dragging him off with her, leaving Gaara on his own with Guy.

“You want to speak to me about Lee,” Gaara said, not wasting any time. “Right? I can’t think of anything else you would want to talk about, with me.”

Guy nodded. “Indeed I do. Lee is a member of my team, and I consider him family. Since he has no blood relatives of his own, I feel like it is that much more important that I look out for him. A sentiment you can understand, I’m sure.”

Gaara narrowed his eyes, slightly. “My loyalty to Naruto is not in the slightest an obligation. His blood is my blood, if only by the fact that we’ve spilled it for each other enough times.”

Guy blinked, taken aback, before smiling. “Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you! I haven’t presented myself correctly, here. I was trying to say that I look out for Lee a bit like a parent, since no one else can step into that role. I suppose I just made myself seem rude.”

“A bit,” Gaara confirmed. “But I’m not a very good judge of social interactions. I’ve been told I speak like a machine.”

Well, that wasn’t  _ wrong _ , but even Guy wasn’t insensitive enough to say that. Instead, he just quickly pulled the subject back to the topic at hand: Lee. “If you can understand my concern, I just want to make sure Lee will be alright - you seemed disturbed by the idea of a fight with him.”

Gaara’s face went through such a dramatic cycle of emotions Guy was half convinced he’d henged, because the pinched look of unfiltered distress made him look so wildly different to the stoic boy he usually appeared as. “I will not hurt Lee,” he said, his voice rough and strained and carrying the weight of a conviction. “On my blood, on my mother’s memory, on  _ Naruto,  _ I would not hurt Lee. Believe me that if nothing else.” 

Guy stared, watching the desperate look in the boy’s eyes, as the wheels in his mind slowly turned themselves to click into place.

“You are afraid of yourself,” Guy observed, quietly. “You’ve lost control, before, haven’t you?”

“Shukaku wouldn’t hurt him either,” Gaara said. “I’d tear him out of my body himself if he tried.”

_ That _ was a surprise, but Guy pressed on. “I’m not worried you will hurt him, not physically.  _ You  _ seem to be, but I’m concerned about his heart.” At Gaara’s blank stare, he explained, “Lee values your opinion highly, and has told our team many times that you were the one to inspire him to become a ninja despite his setbacks. If you hold back, he will know, and he will take it as pity. It would destroy him.”

Gaara’s jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth. “I can’t go all out,” he said. “You don’t know what you’re asking, there. I won’t baby him, and I will not let him win. Any victory between us will be hard won. But if it comes down to where I only have the option of hurting him or losing, I will step back and I will throw the match. If he loses a single drop of blood, I’ve lost. Some victories aren’t worth the cost.”

Another light clicked on, and Guy felt tension bleed out of him, because while Gaara was likely going to at least  _ slightly  _ offend Lee with the overprotective behavior, Guy finally caught sight of its source.

“Lee and I have much in common,” he said, watching Gaara blink at the sudden change in tone. “We’re both loud and stubborn and headstrong to a fault, and most people take that at face value and consider us little more than an annoyance.” He tipped his head, watching Gaara closely. “But even when Lee was just a kid, sitting alone on a playground, you saw him. You reached out to him and showed him what he could be, because you could see that potential. You’ll never know how much it meant to him.”

“You’re wrong.”

Guy straightened, stunned, as Gaara looked down, hands clenching tight into fists at his sides. After a moment, he looked back up, and Guy was shocked to see tears in his eyes.

This child, who had a reputation as heartless and devoid of emotion, had shown more heart in the course of one conversation than some shinobi did in their whole lives.

Maybe he wasn’t the only one who hid under a reputation. 

“When I was a child, I was alone,” Gaara said. “I didn’t know anyone who could stand to be around me. Everyone in my village wanted me dead. I was a monster who killed because I didn’t understand, and that made people hate me more and avoid me more and that made the rage and the loneliness so much _worse._ And Naruto saw me, under that. He became my friend when I had no one. Naruto _saved me,_ and I had no potential back then. I was just...just a shell. I owe everything I am to him.” His shoulders squared and his spine straightened, and he reached out, grabbing Guy’s arms in a surprisingly strong grip. “Rock Lee had so much potential you could feel it around him, but he was more than what he could be. Rock Lee is determined, strong - in every way, physically and emotionally - and above all, kind. He was never _just_ a kid on a playground, Might Guy, and I could never think of him as less than the marvel he is.”

Guy watched him, for a second, eyes burning slightly at the declaration.

Doing what he did best, though, he pushed it back into a fierce grin that wasn’t even a little bit false, and reached out, ruffling the child’s soft red hair, much to his offense. “I approve! You and Lee will make a most interesting duo! The springtime of youth shines bright in both of your hearts, and together you will make great things happen!”

The kid’s face matched his hair almost immediately, and Guy turned and marched off to go back to the jounin room.

He had some bets to ask after - however the fight ended up, Guy could anticipate  _ something  _ from coming that match.

  
  
  
  
  


“Okay, Shikamaru,” Ino said, dragging the boys of her team into her house and forcing them both to sit on the couch. “You looked super annoyed at having to fight Naruto, and it looked like more than just you being lazy. What is it? Spill. I need to know everything I can about that team.”

Shikamaru grimaced. “I...figured some stuff out, about Naruto and the jinchuuriki. I didn’t really mean to, I just couldn’t shut it off. I’m not really excited to have to fight the guy, but there’s no way he’ll let me throw it. He’s too…”

“Crazy?” Choji suggested.

“Excitable,” Ino offered.

“ _ Bothersome,”  _ Shikamaru said. “He’s a huge pain in the ass, and he doesn’t back down from anything. No way he isn’t gonna take every match he fights seriously.” 

“What’d you figure out, then?” Ino asked. “It’s not like you to be this worried about something. You actually don’t think you can beat him, do you?”

“Oh, no way in hell,” Shikamaru confirmed. “He’s gonna wipe the floor with me. I just hope he’ll let me quit before he breaks something.”

“Yikes,” Choji said. “What the hell’s that guy got that makes you think even your shadows couldn’t stop him?”

Shikamaru looked hesitant, and Ino leaned forward, staring at him intensely. “If you know something about Sakura’s team, I need to know. You know how important that is to me.”

Shikamaru sighed. “Fine, okay, damn. I’ll tell you.” He ran a hand through his hair, beginning to speak. “When the jinchuuriki first came to Konoha, we weren’t told anything. But the most important members of the village, especially highly valued jounin, got told at least part of it. That includes our dads, Ino.”    
Ino straightened, brows raising in curiosity. “Our dads know why two jinchuuriki moved in with Naruto? And your dad told you?”    
Shikamaru shook his head. “Exactly why they’re here, no. All my dad told me was that the jinchuuriki were being targeted by a terrorist organization called the Akatsuki, and that they were all on guard because of it. But that’s not the important part: he says that the other jinchuuriki all found out through him that they were in danger, because they have a mental link. All the tailed beasts can access this shared mental plane, where they can speak to each other, including the jinchuuriki.”   
“Wow,” Ino murmured, taking a moment to process that in quiet awe. “That must come in handy.”   
“Here’s what I’ve figured out, so far,” Shikamaru said, bringing his teammates’ attention fully to him, his fingers steepling into his thinking position. “Naruto, Gaara, and Fu are all jinchuuriki. They are connected to each other and the other jinchuuriki through their mental link, and have used this to train, which is why they have such strong control over their bijuus’ chakra.” He brought his fingers up to rest just under his chin, expression thoughtful. “What I’m a little less clear on is their relationship with each other. I’ve seen them train together, several times. Everyone has, at this point. They move without looking at each other, sometimes, because they know where the other will be.” He hesitated, before adding, “Fu less so than Gaara and Naruto. Those two act like they’re not even separate people anymore - just extensions off of the same source. Two bodies with one mind, and one soul.” He shook his head. “That’s not the kind of closeness people can get just writing each other letters for a couple of years. No - those two have known each other for a long time, even longer than their lives.”   
Ino frowned. “Longer than their lives? You lost me. What does that mean?”   
Shikamaru huffed out a frustrated breath. “I can’t be certain of it, yet, but I think the mental space they share might be a different dimension - where they create pockets in space-time or something, like it’s rumored the Sharingan can do. I think, at some point, Gaara and Naruto lived in that plane, possibly for full years. Mentally, they’ve lived more years than we have, even though we’re the same age.”   
“That sounds kind of cool,” Choji said. “So they can pretty much train indefinitely, huh? How are we supposed to get better than them, then?”   
Shikamaru’s eyes dropped to the dirt, face tense.   
“You know something else,” Ino realized. “What is it? What’s missing, Shikamaru?”   
“Something’s wrong with them,” he told them. “Whatever that mental plane is like, it doesn’t come without a cost. Have you ever noticed that Naruto checks out sometimes? Or that Sasuke and Sakura are weirdly protective of him, even though he’s probably strong enough to take us all down? And Gaara talks and acts like he’s afraid of his own emotions, never goes anywhere without one of his siblings or Naruto, and refuses to carry weapons. Something happened to them. I think whatever price they paid to get those extra years together, they’re not going to pay it again, not if they can help it. I don’t think they could pay it, seeing how badly they were broken from what they’ve already done.”    
“You think Naruto and Gaara gave up something to stay in their mindspace?” Ino asked, trying to wrap her head around the theory.    
“I don’t know,” Shikamaru said. “They either gave up something, or they had to share that space with something, or...I really don’t know. All I know is, something happened to those two, and they’re not okay. They’re strong, yeah, but they’re damaged so badly it might not even matter.”   
  


  
  
  
  


“Okay, so Shikamaru is a strategist,” Naruto said. “So I gotta make sure not to act obvious.”

“Done,” Sakura said. “No one can predict what you’re going to do next. Even  _ you  _ don’t know what you’re doing.”

“That’s fair,” Naruto allowed. “So that leaves you against Shino, who has almost entirely ranged attacks with his bugs.” 

“Don’t worry about me,” she said. “I came up with a plan pretty much immediately.”

Naruto stared at her, looking for a sign she was kidding.

He found none.

“Okay, moving on, because you’re  _ terrifying,”  _ he muttered, before looking to Sasuke. “Kabuto is your opponent. I-... _ We  _ don’t know him, he’s just one of Fu’s guards, right? So you’re gonna have to figure everything out in the moment.”

“Good thing I know how to improvise, then,” Sasuke said. “What the hell was that all about, anyway - you protesting my match?”

Naruto grimaced. “I just… I don’t like the idea of you fighting someone we don’t know anything about, is all.”

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. “You’ve talked to him, haven’t you? What did he say? What made you this nervous?”

Naruto raised up his hands, waving his teammate off. “No, no, nothing like that! He doesn’t know me at all, promise. I just…” He sighed, opting for a version of the truth. “Sasuke. Kabuto and Sai were assigned to Fu as a temporary genin team, but they’re not actually regular genin. They’re acting as  _ guards,  _ which means something is up with them. I don’t like the idea of you going into a match when you don’t know what to expect from your opponent.”

“Few fights come with dossiers first, Naruto,” Sakura said. “Just trust us, okay? We know what we’re doing. Focus on kicking Shikamaru’s ass so you can face off with one of us in the finals.”

Naruto laughed. “Yeah, yeah, okay. Sorry, I just…”

Sakura looped an arm around both boys’ shoulders, dragging them in for a hug. “Yeah, I know, you’re a worrier. You’re lucky I love you.”

“Are we?” Sasuke asked, and then ducked Sakura’s swing at him, pulling back from her hug and taking off out of the room, the kunoichi right at his heels.

Naruto leaned back, laughing as he listened to them chase each other around the house. 

Not everything was perfect, and not everything was even  _ good,  _ but this...this was worth it. It just worried him, was all - in the first timeline, he’d had nothing left to lose. In this one, he had  _ everything.  _

  
  
  
  
  
  


“Are you  _ petting _ a mosquito?” 

Shino continued rubbing his finger along the bug’s long back, almost ignoring Kiba’s outraged cry entirely. “Applying a generic antitoxin. In a fight with a poison specialist, one must be prepared for poisons to be used. These are going to stay with me, so if anything gets into my blood, they can suck it out without getting damaged themselves. They’ll have to spit it out quickly, but it will give us a small chance to avoid injury.” 

“That’s pretty clever, Shino,” Hinata said, tentatively approaching the boy to lean down and examine the bugs. “They’re really able to understand all that?”

“Bugs are extremely smart,” Shino insisted. “You simply have to be able to communicate with them.”

Kiba caught Hinata’s attention from behind Shino’s back, and made a ‘he’s crazy’ sort of hand gesture from out of sight.

Well, out of Shino’s sight, at least. “My bugs are good at reporting what they see, Kiba,” Shino told him, and Kiba backed up quickly to be out of immediate range of fire. “I have a flea farm and I will use it if need be.”

Kiba groaned. “Please don’t. Coming at me is bad enough, but Akamaru ends up giving everything to the rest of the pack, and then my mom is on my back for like a month about it.”

In the interest of maintaining the peace, Hinata interjected with a change of subject. “Is everyone okay with their matches? Are you guys nervous?”

“Sakura will either beat me or she will not,” Shino said. “I am not going to stress myself over it. I will just prepare as best I can.”

“I'm gonna kick that Suna weirdo’s ass,” Kiba said. “He didn't know who I am!” 

“Speaking of acknowledgement,” Shino spoke up. “Hinata. Naruto wished you good luck in your match, didn't he?”

Hinata flushed. “H-he gave me a thumbs up, yeah. It was nice of him.”

“How come you get one and we don't?” Kiba asked. “We must be so cool we won't need it.”

“That is false,” Shino said. “Naruto would not favor either of our victories. That is because we are fighting against people he is close to, who he would no doubt prefer won.”

Kiba grimaced. “I feel bad for you, man. You get to choose between losing and being the guy that beat Naruto’s sorta-sister out of becoming a chunnin.”

Shino twitched. “Kiba.  _ Fleas.” _

“I’m shutting up!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im posting this from my phone in the breakroom at work appreciate me


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> oooh get punchy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the girls take this chapter
> 
> also warning for a brief bit of this with some semi-graphic descriptions of major illness 
> 
> you'll see why lmao

The first time Naruto had gone through the chunnin exams, he'd been nearly sick with nerves, terrified of his first fight against Neji Hyuuga. 

How times had changed. This time, it wasn't the Hyuuga prodigy and the Uchiha clan sole survivor people were watching put for, but three jinchuuriki, all renowned throughout the world of shinobi for being unstoppable forces of nature. 

Well, mostly unstoppable. They all had their weaknesses. 

“She's gonna pound him into the dirt,” Fu breathed out, laying across Gaara’s lap, sticking her feet over onto Naruto’s, creating a dramatic swooning effect while also maintaining maximum physical contact with her boys. “He's going to be bug paste. What's that stuff they put in canned food, that's made of ground up bugs?”

“Cochineal,” Gaara told her. “Good memory.”

“I still can't even boil water, so you're not a great cooking teacher,” she said. 

Gaara sniffed, offended. “I teach fine. You spent the entire lesson eating the test recipes I made.”

“Good times.” 

Naruto rolled his eyes, prodding Fu’s foot with one finger. “You were declaring your love for Sakura’s biceps.”

“Biceps were yesterday,” Gaara corrected, tone flat. “I believe this one was combat prowess.”

“At least one of my brothers listens to me,” Fu sighed. “Naruto, you're fired. Gaara’s my favorite.”

“He was already your favorite.”

“Not my fault you don't know how to have a good time.”

Naruto made a strangled noise, throwing his hands into the air. “Your weird obstacle courses are not a good time! They are a very, very  _ bad  _ time.”

Fu laughed. “If you can't take a few burned hairs and minor lacerations, you're in the wrong profession.”

“I just don't like wearing out Kurama’s chakra healing myself when I don't need to,” he protested. “Just because you can do all that stuff doesn't mean everyone can.”

“Why not?”

Naruto looked to Gaara, exasperated, but his friend simply shrugged. “She has a point.”

“Traitor.”

Gaara pet Fu’s hair idly with one hand, giving Naruto a blank stare. “I will side with you when you get rid of that  _ hideous duck painting.” _

“Mr. Quack is beautiful,” Naruto insisted, waving up at the massive painting hanging in their living room. “If I can't keep the frogs - a very important animal to me, mind you - at least let me keep the water...uh.”

“Fowl,” Gaara filled in. 

“No, it's not, it's gorgeous.” 

Gaara closed his eyes, letting out a low breath. “Fowl, with a w, not a u. As in birds.”

“Oh. Right.”

Fu laughed, reaching up to prod Gaara’s cheek. “You're a nerd.”

Without so much as a twitch in expression, Gaara removed his hand from her hair and firmly shoved her off of him, sending her rolling off the couch. 

“I see you guys are still hard at work preparing for the exam tomorrow,” Temari drawled from the dining area, where she had commandeered the table to spread out her fans for maintenance. “Could you at least pretend to be nervous?”

“Shikamaru is probably gonna try and throw the match immediately,” Naruto said. “No way he wants to waste the effort on a full fight. I'm gonna have to drag him into it.”

“I'm gonna be fighting you,” Fu called from the floor. “I'm so excited I'm gonna throw up.”

“I'm nervous,” Gaara allowed. “Lee is a taijutsu specialist of incredible speed and strength. He is, essentially, the perfect foil to my skillset.”

“Not to mention you'll be too busy drooling to fight.”

Gaara glared down at Fu. “I will step on you.”

“Go ahead,” she grinned at him. “You weigh about as much as what I ate for breakfast.”

“I can't tell if that's an insult or a true statement,” Gaara murmured. “Likely true, considering how much you eat.”

“I'm a growing girl. With a giant bug for a headmate. We like to eat, Gaara.”

“Okay, I can't take it anymore,” Kankuro announced, striding out of the kitchen to join them, hands full of puppet repair tools. “What the hell does this Kida kid fight like?”

Naruto ended up falling on the ground next to Fu, he was laughing so hard. If it weren't for jinchuuriki healing, they'd both go into the chunnin exams bruised. 

  
  
  
  
  


“Sasuke,” Itachi called, voice scratchy and strained. “Can you-...”

Sasuke didn't wait for his brother to finish, just passed him a his medication and a glass of water. 

“Thanks,” he muttered, quickly downing the pills. “Ugh. How many days left?”

Sasuke checked the bottle. “Nine pills, so tonight and then four days.”

“If I don't get at least six months of peace out of this, I'm going to let Shisui loose on that hospital.”

“No, you won’t,” Sasuke said. “You're a pacifist, and that would end in bloodshed.”

“Shisui’s or the doctors?”

“Either. Both.”

Itachi sighed, leaning back in his chair, letting his eyelids slide shut. “I thought taking the eyes out was supposed to make this  _ better.  _ Now I'm just blind  _ and  _ sick.”

“But you're not dead,” Sasuke said. “Pretty sure that's what they were aiming for.”

“Don't be a smartass,” Itachi said. “I’ll take you out with my cane.”

Sasuke eyed Itachi warily, before looking around the room. 

“I hear you panicking,” Itachi said. “I think I left it at Shisui’s again.”

“Meaning you tossed it in a river and hoped it'd vanish forever?” Sasuke asked. 

“You can't prove that.”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. His brother had been blind for just over a year, after his constant Sharingan-driven training started resulting in migraines that rapidly turned for the worse. When he started spending whole days in bed, occasionally coughing up blood when he tried to focus his vision too much, the doctors had cut their losses and taken his eyes, replacing them with two neat glass versions that they claimed would stand in until they could implant another Sharingan. 

Itachi had originally hated them, but quickly realized that being without their clan symbol kept him from the duties of clan head. Instead, he got to force the position back onto his father, at least until Sasuke could take it, and proceeded to become a professional mother hen to Shisui. 

Shisui’s words, of course. Itachi called himself ‘a secretary, whose notes have to be mental.’

Sasuke called them both a pain in the ass, but that was beside the point. 

The  _ point _ was Itachi made it clear to everyone he wasn't too interested in getting his eyes back, and chose to do that by being unnecessarily stubborn about mobility aides. He ‘lost’ his canes regularly, he would wander off from guides and refuse to ever take an offered arm, he told the Inuzuka who offered to train him a guide dog where to shove it…

Sasuke and Shisui were both working to convince Itachi he could show independence while still using things that helped him stay safe, but it was a losing battle. The Uchiha were not known for being reasonable. 

It helped that Itachi was still getting sick, if it was more mild. Apparently whatever damage the Sharingan did on his body wasn't reversed by the removal of his eyes, just stopped from progressing. 

There were a lot of older Uchiha calling for them to find Tsunade and drag her back to Konoha to heal him, but no one was really sold on that idea. Tsunade wasn't someone you could really force into anything, from what Sasuke had heard. 

Still, it would be nice to not have to worry about his brother passing out when he was gallivanting about pretending nothing was wrong. 

“You went quiet,” Itachi said. “Did you storm off, or are you brooding?”

“I don't  _ brood _ .”

“Sulking, then,” Itachi allowed. “Sasuke, quit stressing about me, and go get some rest. You have the chunnin exam matches tomorrow, right? Just because I can't see you get your ass kicked doesn't mean I won't know it happened. Shisui is getting rather good at providing commentary, in between all his attempts at being funny.”

The door to the house swung open, Shisui’s voice calling an “ _ I heard that!”  _ into the house. 

“Oh no,” Itachi said, utterly dry. “Whatever shall I, prodigy of the Uchiha, do against an opponent such as the feared Shisui, renowned for his many losses against twelve year olds.”

“Jokes on you,” Shisui said, sweeping into the dining room to join them. “Naruto is  _ fourteen _ , now.”

Itachi tipped his head, looking baffled. “Seriously?”

“ _ Brother _ ,” Sasuke said, exasperated. “ _ I’m  _ fourteen.”

Itachi sat still for a moment, before shaking his head. “That doesn’t sound right. You were twelve, the last I saw.”

“You-...” 

Sasuke finally caught up to the joke, and groaned, sharing a look of self-pity with Shisui as Itachi cracked up at his own humor. 

“I’ll handle this one, Sasuke,” Shisui said. “Go to bed - you’re gonna need your energy for the exams tomorrow, and nothing drains a man faster than Itachi’s blind jokes.”

Sasuke couldn’t argue with that, so he bid them goodnight, heading to his room to sleep. 

He had a long day ahead of him - maybe he’d even get to fight Naruto, at some point. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


“Is waking up this early part of the challenge?” Fu grumbled, rubbing at her eyes before gazing blearily around the area they were using for the exam fights. “Look at all these people. Why the hell are they  _ awake?”  _

“Fu, it’s six a.m.,” Gaara said. “This is a perfectly reasonable time to be awake, especially for a shinobi.”

Fu turned a fierce glare on him, which was impressive, considering she’d barely had her eyes open a moment before. “I will bury you in your own sand, cactus boy.”

Gaara took a slight step back, because he really wouldn’t trust Fu not to follow up on that when half asleep. She was  _ vicious.  _ He’d hoped making her a good breakfast that morning would wake her up, but she’d eaten two eggs and then chugged almost an entire pot of coffee before dragging them all out the door to ‘get this over with.’ 

“Aren’t shinobi supposed to be up early, as a rule?” Sai asked, from the side. “You should adjust to it, in case of-...”

Fu had him by the front of the shirt in a blink, dragging him down to meet his eyes with a manic stare. “The best shinobi work is done at night. Let me go to bed at three a.m. and wake up when the sun is well into the sky, and I’ll get you brilliant mission results. I just  _ hate mornings.  _ Imply I’m not a good shinobi again and I will let you find out how many of your paintbrushes I can cram in your- Oh, Sakura!”

Fu dropped Sai, letting him stumble back and fall into the dirt, as she perked up and rushed over to greet the approaching kunoichi.

“I’m sensing a pattern, here,” Kabuto murmured, offering Sai a hand up. “Maybe you should spend more time with Miss Haruno, for your own safety.”

Naruto cracked up, leaning onto Gaara’s side as he did so, making a show of laughing too hard to stand. “Ha! Bothering Sakura for  _ safety.  _ Poor kid, she’s  _ worse.  _ At least Fu limits her bloodlust to early mornings and fighting over food.” 

Sai looked to Kabuto, face tense. “I don’t think we were properly briefed for this assignment.”

Kabuto was saved from a reply by Genma whistling, snapping all the genin to attention. 

“Everybody’s here, now,” he called. “So we can start. Sakura, Shino, head to the center. Everyone else, go wait up on that balcony.” 

“Good luck, Sakura!” Fu called, before sprouting Chomei’s wings and  _ flying  _ up to the balcony, making Sai’s already pale face get three shades whiter.

Naruto had to take a second to collect himself before he could follow her up the stairs. Poor Sai - he managed to get away from Danzo, but got stuck with them instead. 

  
  
  
  


“You are thought to be strong by the village at large,” Shino said, bowing slightly to Sakura. “I am honored to fight you, however this should play out.”

“Same to you,” she said. “The Aburame clan heir is nothing to shrug off.” 

“Alright, kids,” Genma said, dropping the signal to begin before jumping back out of their way. 

Sakura wasted no time, immediately launching a small barrage of senbon Shino’s way. 

Shino waved an arm, letting a swarm of his armored beetles fly forth, creating a shield wall for the needles to bounce harmlessly off of. The speed of their wings shook the poison loose into a soft mist around them, and Shino had to back up quickly to avoid being caught in it. 

“I see,” he said. “The consistency of your poisons is such that it can be atomized with movement. I have to be careful to remain at a distance, then.”

“You’re quick,” Sakura said. “I’m pretty sure Naruto still hasn’t quite worked out that the cloud is  _ also  _ poisonous. Then again, Kurama’s probably built him up an immunity, at this point.”

“Kurama,” Shino echoed. “I assume the demon fox?”

“Less of a demon,” she said, twirling another senbon between two fingers. “More like a housecat, really.”

Up in the balcony, watching, Naruto wheezed with laughter. 

_ I’m going to kill her,  _ Kurama said, from the back of Naruto’s mind.  _ You heard that, right? I’m going to destroy her. _

_ Good luck,  _ Naruto thought back.  _ I’d pay to see that fight. _

Shino spread his fingers, sending the next cloud of bugs forth, circling them around himself and calling them back down to cover his skin. “These mosquitoes have been bred to filter toxins,” he told her. “If you are only working with poisons, you will be at it for a long time.”

Sakura grinned. “I’m not in any rush.”

She pulled out a kunai and threw it directly toward Shino, letting the armored beetles bunch up to block it before throwing senbon in a wide arc around it, forcing them to have to choose to prioritize attacks. Before even a second could pass, she tossed two more kunai into the path of the first.

Too many attacks, in too short a span, confused Shino’s swarm, and the defense they managed was sloppy and sparse, creating an even larger cloud of poison mist.

“You are proficient in defeating barriers,” Shino observed. “I see. That is because of Gaara’s sand shield, isn’t it?”

“It’s about ten times faster than those bugs,” she confirmed. “But it’s also a little easier to confuse Shukaku than a hundred insects, when you get down to it.”

Shukaku joined Kurama in the cries for blood, then, leaving Naruto and Gaara to share a commiserating look. 

“You are defeating your own efforts,” Shino said. “Your range is limited, and each time you create a poison cloud, you further distance yourself from me. Soon we will be at a stalemate.” 

“I guess I’ll worry about that when I get to it,” she said. She didn’t give him a moment to process, just chucked another handful of senbon his way, and then skipped back a few steps, pulling on her gloves in the process.

Shino took note of the addition through the fog of the poison clouds, frowning. Did she intend to circle the cloud? He’d have to guard his sides, then, he supposed. 

“My turn to attack, I believe,” he murmured, before sending out a mass of ticks to crawl across the sand under the clouds, heading toward Sakura. 

He saw her notice them, and tip her head down, but then lost her immediately as the fog abruptly thickened and spread out. 

“She atomized more poison,” he said to himself, talking through his observations to try and make sense of them. “Is she trying to extend the cloud far enough down to reach the ticks? The air rises, it won’t-...”

The words cut off as his jaw locked, tongue thickening in his mouth, as every muscle in his body froze in place.

From where she stood before him, needle-covered knuckles sunk into his shoulder, Sakura grinned.

“You went through the poison,” Shino said. “Of course, you would have an antidote.”

“Nope,” she said. “I didn’t take anything.”

Shino took a moment to process that, before a theory hit him, and he dragged his gaze down to her arms and legs, both coated in twitching bodies of poisoned ticks. 

She’d taken his filtering strategy with his mosquitoes and used it against him, letting his own attack purge her blood of poison. 

“...Well done,” he complimented. 

She pulled her knuckles free, allowing his mosquitoes to get to work sucking out the poison. “Yield?”

As control over his limbs slowly returned to him, he gave a single, sharp nod. “I will be too stiff to fight effectively. You have won this match fairly.”

Sakura turned to Genma, waving, and the proctor let out a sigh.

“First match to Sakura Haruno,” he announced. “Now someone help me clear this poison up before the next match, please.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sakura gives 0 fucks


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> wholesome content

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops i took a long time but its holiday season which means christian is working 40 hour weeks :')

Iruka stared at his class, brow twitching as he watched his students constantly look toward the windows, quietly muttering to each other about the events that were taking place so close to their classroom. 

_ Naruto graduated six years ago,  _ he thought.  _ And yet, he’s somehow even more of a distraction now than he was when he was in my class.  _

“Guys,” Iruka called to his class, tossing his book down onto his desk and letting the loud slam turn their eyes to him. 

Roughly thirty eight-year-olds turned to him immediately, and he winced at the look. Small children were intimidating in large numbers - he could feel a headache building behind his eyes every time they grouped up. 

“You’re not paying attention,” he said. “I’m not gonna even bother to ask why, because I’m sure we all know that much.”

The kids didn’t even have the decency to look guilty.

“Iruka-sensei,” one of the female students in his front row, Moegi, said. “Suzume-sensei didn’t hold class today so she and her students could watch the chunnin exams.”

“Suzume’s class is about to take the graduation exam,” Iruka said. “And some of the top scorers from her  _ last  _ graduating class made it to the final fights, so she’s dragged her students off to ‘watch and learn.’ She’s still holding class, technically, just...not here.”

“Can  _ we  _ have class at the exams?” Konohamaru asked, leaning enthusiastically forward on his desk. “Grandpa Hokage was stressing about this one super hard, so I know it  _ has  _ to be cool. And everyone says-...”

“Shh!” Moegi hissed, hitting his arm quickly. “Suzume-sensei says we’re not supposed to talk about him in class.”

“That’s ‘cause she’ll cry,” Udon said. “It’s probably okay if she’s not here.”

There was a chorus of quiet giggles through his class, and Iruka could practically feel the murder that awaited him when Suzume inevitably found out about this. It was interesting, though, that she had a blanket ban on talk of Naruto Uzumaki.

Which, really, given how distracted his class could be? Wasn’t a bad idea. 

“I’m not going to the chunnin exams,” Iruka said. “I have no reason to be there, when I have a class  _ here.”  _

“But isn’t  _ your  _ last graduating class in it?” Moegi said. “If that’s why Suzume-sensei is there, shouldn’t you go, too?”

Iruka locked eyes with the eight year old girl, staring her down, fighting to come up with a way to beat the simple childish logic.

He had nothing.

“Okay, fine,” he sighed. “Let’s go watch the exams.”

The cheers that chorused through the room told Iruka that threat of a headache wouldn’t be hypothetical for long. 

  
  
  
  


“I hope there is not any poison left in the arena when Neji goes down to fight,” Lee murmured, staring down over the railing of the balcony. “The fight will already be unbalanced.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the kid, because there was no way he was putting down his own teammate, but a physical fight against the Akimichi clan heir wasn’t exactly an easy win. 

Lee must have felt himself being watched, because he looked up to Kakashi, flushing slightly. “Ah, sorry, I suppose that would sound rude. I am sure Choji is very strong, but Neji is on another level. I doubt many people could beat him.”

“Confidence in a teammate is good,” Kakashi said. “As long as it’s justified.”

“It is not something I say as a teammate,” Lee said. “I have been studying Neji’s skill for the three years we have been a team, and I have never seen an equal.” He paused, before quickly amending, “In person, at least. I have no doubt talented shinobi such as yourself or Gaara-san could defeat him.” 

Kakashi wasn’t really sure why ‘talented shinobi’ to this kid meant Copy Nin Kakashi and a kid who actively avoided even sparring with someone who didn’t have near endless cell regeneration to keep them unharmed, but there was probably a good reason he picked those two specific examples. 

He wasn’t wrong, though: Kakashi, with his ability to predict and copy jutsu, and Gaara, with his fine manipulation of chakra at a distance, would both be well matched to someone like Neji. 

Of course, Kakashi was  _ pretty sure  _ this kid was the one his kids kept picking on Gaara for being quietly enamored with, and when that wasn’t weird to think about (because he still wasn’t really sure how much he should consider Gaara a child) he hoped for the best for them. So maybe, somehow, this kid was just as over the moon for the jinchuuriki. 

“Studying?” Kakashi echoed, latching onto a passing part of Lee’s declaration. “Trying to learn how to fight with him?”

“Trying to find weakness in it,” Lee corrected. “There must be one, but I cannot find it.”

“You’re...looking for a blind spot,” Kakashi murmured. “In your teammate?” 

“I consider our relationship not entirely unlike yours and Gai-sensei’s.” 

Kakashi choked. “What about Gaara?”

Lee’s eyebrows (which Kakashi had been pointedly  _ not  _ looking at, up to that point) knitted together, face turning confused. “Gaara-san is not a rival to me, only an inspiration.”

Kakashi almost fell over in relief. He tried to grab the handrail of the balcony as subtly as possible. “Rivals. Right. That’s what you meant.”

Lee tipped his head. “Are you and Gai-sensei not rivals?”

“Yeah, no, that’s-...” Kakashi started, but then caught himself. “No, no no no, we-...”

“We are most certainly rivals, my young student!” Gai called out, appearing from nowhere to stand next to Kakashi, smile bright and thumb up encouragingly. “We have been struggling to remain above one another since childhood! He is currently far above me in terms of victories in our challenges, but one day he will be beneath me instead!”

“There’s an idea,” Kakashi muttered.

Gai sighed dramatically, looking down to Lee. “He does not always take me seriously, you see? He wants to stay cool and aloof, so he acts as though I could not ever reach his level!”

Lee nodded emphatically, before pulling out an  _ honest-to-God notebook  _ and starting to scribble furious notes into it. 

Kakashi hadn’t actually meant his comment that way, but the joke he’d actually been making was probably better being shrugged off anyway.

He wasn’t letting Gai add  _ that  _ to his weirdly mixed, mostly-positive self esteem. He might get a  _ speech.  _ A polite rejection from  _ Might Gai  _ sounded like a personal hell, so he’d just let that one slide.

“I’m going to go find my team,” he said, only to realize that was unnecessary: Gai was in full inspiring lecture mode, and Lee was enraptured in it, long black braid bouncing wildly on his back as his erratic nodding continued. 

Jeez. That kid was going to be a pain when he was older, just like his teacher. Kakashi wondered if he should pull Gaara aside and warn him in advance.

….Nah, who was he kidding. 

No one needed to warn them. They already knew. 

They were just crazy enough to  _ like  _ it. 

  
  


  
  


“Match two,” Genma called out, when the arena was clear and Neji and Choji were in position to start the next round. “Neji against Choji. Ready? Begin.”

Neji shifted into a fight stance, activating his Byakugan, watching Choji carefully as the boy reached down into his pocket. 

_ Food pills,  _ Neji thought.  _ They’re part of the Akimichi clan’s special jutsu. I read about it in-... _

Neji blinked, straightening ever so slightly out of his stance in shock, as he watched Choji rip into a fresh bag of chips.

“You’re...eating,” he murmured. 

“Shino was moving around a lot in the last fight, and it looked like a lot of work,” Choji said. “I got hungry just watching him. I’m not even sure how Shikamaru’s still awake - he gets tired the same way.”

Neji frowned, fighting with the indignant anger rising in him. “We are in an ordained fight in a shinobi exam. Take it seriously. Do not let your stomach rule over your brain.”

“Don’t let your heart rule yours,” Choji replied. “You’re too easily worked up. We’re both Konoha ninja, and there’s no way more than a couple of us are making it to chunnin status. Shikamaru already has the odds all written up. It doesn’t really matter who wins this fight, except whoever does has to fight  _ Sakura _ , and I really don’t wanna do that.”

Neji grit his teeth. “You’re giving up? Before the match even starts? I know few people hold honor to the same standard as the Hyuuga, but you would think the Akimichi would at least be hesitant to become lazy.”

Choji’s fingers stilled in their path, a chip held lightly between two greased fingers. “And why’s that?”

“Everyone already looks down on them,” Neji said. “Their traits are not becoming of a ninja clan.”

Choji lifted the chip to his mouth, taking a very slow and deliberate bite of it. “Which traits?”

Neji scoffed. “Do you need me to list them? You already know, but I’ll spell it out for you anyway. Most every other clan in Konoha recognizes the Akimichi as little more than stains on our reputation, being notoriously fat and lazy.”

Choji’s tongue darted out across his lips, chasing down the shattered crumbs of his chips. He then went finger by finger, very carefully sucking grease and salt from each one, until he was finally certain he’d exhausted his snack of every morsel.

And then he crunched the bag up into a ball, dropped it to the ground, and cracked his knuckles. 

“Chips are kind of a loud snack,” he said. “So I’m gonna need you to say that one  _ again.”  _

Neji’s eyes narrowed. “Have I finally inspired a fight in you? Honor is nothing, but you’ll come to blows at being called fat?”

“I was always gonna fight,” Choji said, balling one hand into a fist. “I just needed a snack to get started, is all.”

Before Neji could parse out what he meant, his Byakugan caught Choji’s chakra burning and funnelling into a concentrated area - his fist, the one that had held a bag of chips mere moments before.

As Neji watched, the fist tripled in size. 

“The Akimichi clan eats a lot,” Choji said. “And we say it’s because we turn calories into chakra, which lets us do things like this.” 

Neji watched the boy’s eyes rise up to meet his, a sudden coldness in them catching him off guard.

“That’s kind of bullshit,” Choji continued. “I can do this on my own. I just like food.” 

Apparently, that was the signal, because Neji was diving quickly to the side to dodge a punch 

almost immediately upon the last word’s completion. 

The punch slammed into the ground where he’d been standing, shattering the earth around it and creating a rather impressive crater. 

Neji carefully launched himself forward, slamming fingertips into Choji’s wrist, cutting off the chakra flow through the point. “Chakra is useless, here,” Neji told him. “Say what you wish. I’ve said nothing less than what is true.” 

Choji spun around his own enlarged hand, using it as a grounding point to swing a kick toward Neji’s head. 

Neji responded with a quick leap back and a chakra-coated palm directly into the bottom of Choji’s foot, cutting off vital starting points for chakra flow. 

Choji stumbled slightly in straightening, but recovered faster than Neji had expected, letting his non-blocked hand enlarge as the other shrunk back down and reeling back for another punch. 

Neji waited, timing his attack just right, waiting for Choji’s fist to swing before ducking to go under it, darting a hand out to attack him at the heart, to block the chakra at the source and render jutsu useless.

The punch didn’t keep going, though. Just as Neji passed underneath it, Choji brought his arm down, slamming a hit into Neji’s shoulder, pushing the joint firmly out of its socket as though it were nothing. 

_ If I had been a half step lower,  _ Neji thought, _ that would have been my head.  _

It was a sobering realization. Choji was not to be underestimated: he was clearly more attuned to strategic thinking than anticipated. In hindsight, that seemed obvious - his teammates were a Yamanaka and a Nara. He would have  _ had  _ to develop analytical skills, just to keep up. 

Leaving his dislocated shoulder hanging loose, Neji backed quickly out of Choji’s range, debating his next move. His techniques were far less feasible with one hand, but in order to fix his shoulder, he would need a good few seconds to force it back in, and he didn’t have that. Choji wasn’t up to Neji’s speed, but he wasn’t really  _ slow  _ either. Not to mention he had Neji by a mile in terms of physical strength. 

That left him no choice - he’d have to finish the fight one-handed, and fix his arm afterwards. Not an ideal solution, but unless he could slow Choji down, it was his only shot. 

Neji shifted, raising his still-operational hand into position to strike out, and waiting for Choji to make a move.

He ended up standing frozen, blinking in shock, as Choji raised a hand into the air.

“I’m quitting,” he called out, sounding almost bored with it. “He looks like he wants to get serious now, and I’d rather walk away in one piece.”

Neji straightened, rage boiling in him. “You’re just walking away? Don’t you have  _ any  _ sense of-...?”

“Like I said,” Choji interrupted. “Shikamaru and I already worked out how the matches are probably gonna go. I don’t want to fight Sakura, especially when it’s not really gonna matter how far I get anyway. Besides, you could totally destroy me if you wanted to, and at least this way I can walk away looking cool.”

Genma sighed, stepping back into the center of the arena. “Second match to Neji Hyuuga,” he called. “Moving on, then.”

Neji stared in slow-dawning horror as Choji turned and walked casually out of the arena. 

He had gone into the match confident that he would win, and while he had, it didn’t feel much like a victory at all. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


“Your turn, Hinata!” Kiba cried, nudging his teammate. “Go kick that weird guy’s ass!” 

“I-I don’t know,” Hinata murmured, watching as Sai walked down into the arena. “They put him on Fu’s guard, so he’s probably really strong.”

“Eh, not really,” Kiba said. “If anything, I’d say that’s proof he’s weak. No way they gave Fu real guards.”

“That is true,” Shino said. “It is likely that the more underhanded members of the council intended Fu to be taken down early in the exams, so as to have one less jinchuuriki in the village to worry about.”

“What?” Kiba looked over to him, confused. “I meant because if Fu thought she was being babied, she’d kick serious ass.” 

“Ah,” Shino hummed. “That, too.”

“I guess you’re right,” Hinata said. “I should go down there, then. W-wish me luck?”

“Good luck!” Kiba offered immediately. “Try not to think about the fact that Naruto is totally watching you do this.”

Hinata flushed red and stumbled on her way to leave, and Shino made a mental note to check on his flea farm. The poor girl was nervous enough on her own - she didn’t need  _ help _ .

  
  
  
  


From his spot in the audience, henge firmly in place to allow him to watch the proceedings without disrupting the event, Orochimaru considered the paths that had led him to this particular moment.

When he’d first taken his position among Danzo’s inner circle, offering just enough useful information to the Hokage to keep him in good standing and otherwise assisting Root’s more morally gray experiments, he’d expected...more.

More of what, he couldn’t quite say. More  _ resistance _ , perhaps. More  _ struggle.  _

More than passing glimpses of the man he’d met the first night in the village, who’d pinned him by his throat and threatened his life without the slightest hint of hesitation.

He’d seen the man only three times since then, and none of them were sightings he was entirely convinced were  _ real.  _ He’d seen the slit-pupiled eyes staring at him from across a council meeting, only to find them gone when he looked to meet them. He’d seen a flash of long blonde hair that vanished as quickly as it came.

And, most memorably, he’d seen those whisker marks - the distinct lines that had marked the cheeks of the man who’d cornered him so easily - on the face of a young child.

A descendant or relative, Orochimaru could have believed - but that child had looked to him, eyes knowing and light-humored, and winked his way before vanishing in an instant. 

Orochimaru feared he may have slightly lost his mind. 

The man had not kept his silence with the distance, though: occasionally, Orochimaru would see things around the Root base that told him without doubt he was being watched. There was a fox carved in one of the Mokuton wood samples. His window would be standing open, when he was certain he shut it. 

And, on one particular occasion, Orochimaru found a note pinned to his desk with a poison-tipped senbon. He'd needed to use tweezers to remove it without pricking his finger and began attempting to analyze it in his lab as soon as he could turn his attention away from the note itself. 

The note, scrawled in rough childish handwriting, read simply as follows:

_ Sai and Shin. Those may not be their current names. Save them.  _

Orochimaru had tracked down the boys in question - not finding a “Sai,” but finding “Shin" easily enough, as it was simply an assigned codename for one of the older children in Root, and he assumed the so-called ‘little brother’ he was always with was Sai. 

Orochimaru was still alive, so he must have assumed correctly. 

The two weren't bad lab assistants, so he didn't really mind the babysitting. Shin had a terrible illness in his lungs, which Orochimaru caught onto immediately, and assigned Kabuto to the task of treating. That small, offhand act had earned the undying loyalty of the boys, and they were always eager to meet his demands as soon as he made them. 

When the Hokage had tasked Root with coming up with the jinchuuriki girl’s guard, Orochimaru didn't need the ominous messages to start showing up to know what his mysterious benefactor would want. 

Shin was in the middle of a deep treatment, held unconscious in one of the pods Orochimaru usually reserved for experiments, so he'd sent Sai with Kabuto. 

Now, he was going to watch them compete in the final stage of the exams. He'd instructed Kabuto to lose, but left Sai to make his own outcome, figuring the man from the woods would let him know if that needed to change. 

He heard nothing, so he was rather eager to watch him go against a Hyuuga. A very interesting clan, that one - What Orochimaru wouldn't give for one of their eyes. Maybe he'd get Sai to bring them, if it went well. 

The jounin in charge of the exam let out a whistle and announced the next match, and Orochimaru steepled his fingers, leaning forward in anticipation. 

Whatever happened in these exams, whatever the strange man wanted from him, whatever he would end up needing to do - if nothing else, it would be interesting. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was originally going to ALSO contain hinata v sai but i took forever writing it so heres the cut version


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara! Lee! Hinata! Sai! Characters!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoops this took 9 years sorry fellas  
> i have seasonal depression and some people were bein real shitty about demanding updates so i didn't really feel like writing   
> i've gotten a lot of really nice comments though and most of you are really kind + patient so here is your chapter, a million years late, rip

“Suzume,” Iruka greeted, sitting next to Suzume in the single remaining free seating area - protected on all sides by feline summons of the other teacher, because Suzume wasn't making her kids sit next to random civilians. “Have I missed anything?”

“Haruno poisoned herself to kill the Aburame kid’s pet ticks, the Hyuuga branch family prodigee got knocked around by the latest  _ Cho  _ of the Akimichi, and the  _ other  _ Hyuuga-...” 

“Hinata?”

“Yeah. She's going against one of Fu’s mystery guards in a moment.” 

Iruka watched her, taking in her slightly pink nose and stern gaze. 

She was so close to crying. 

“Who does Nar-...”

“Shikamaru Nara,” Suzume said with a sniff. “They paired him with a strategic genius, because forethought is his weakest point. That Nara is lazy, though. He’ll probably try and throw it. Naruto will be upset.”

She passed him a paper, which he realized was the event programme. He flipped it open and scanned the matchups, taking in each name. 

“Oh, no,” he muttered, locking onto Kiba’s name. “Kankuro is going to destroy him.”

Suzume turned to him and raised an eyebrow. “No faith in your own student?”

Iruka grimaced. “He’s hotheaded, and it's a good chance he’ll just charge without thinking. Someone who trains with Naruto Uzumaki will know how to counter that, easy. His best bet is probably Kankuro underestimating him and going half strength.” 

Suzume hummed. “What do you think of the other fights? You know these kids better than I do.”

Iruka shook his head. “Most of these are mysteries to me. Ino and Tenten will be an interesting matchup, since they're both rather clever tacticians. Shikamaru is probably going to try and bail out, like you said. Hinata…”

“Hinata…?” she prompted. 

“She’s...shy,” Iruka said. “I don't know this Sai kid, but I'm worried she'll be her own worst enemy in this.”

Suzume looked thoughtful for a second. “She’s the Hyuuga heir, right?” 

“Yeah.”

“She was a terrible student in her kunoichi classes.” Suzume folded her fingers, thinking. “She would do wonderfully in theoretical scenarios, but was too easily flustered. Any time I brought up the potential need for field seductions as a kunoichi, she looked ready to pass out.” Suzume shrugged. “Smart girl, just with no eye for flower arranging. She's probably headed for an information desk job.”

Iruka frowned. He didn't want to get against any of his students, but…

“Maybe she'll surprise us,” he murmured hopefully. “My students are good at that.”

Suzume snorted. “Naruto was mine, you know. You gave him to me.” 

“Are you saying the others weren't surprises? Sakura and Sasuke included?”

Suzume shook her head, grinning to herself. “No person who ever sees Naruto Uzumaki in action will ever be able to shake the image. I'm not surprised at all kids were falling in step behind him. That little brat should be casting a big shadow for the others to stand in, but he's shining the light backward instead.  _ That's  _ surprising.”

Iruka laughed. “Not for Naruto.”

“True,” she allowed. “Expect the unexpected, with that one.”

  
  
  
  
  


“Woo!” Naruto cried out, throwing a fist into the air. “Go Hinata! Kick his butt!” 

“The match hasn't started yet, moron,” Sasuke said, shooing Naruto away from the banister he'd been leaning over. “You’re going to embarrass yourself  _ and  _ Hinata if you keep on.”

“I just want her to know I support her! I want everybody to do their best.”

“Worry about your own match,” Sakura said. “I know I'm going to. I have to face Neji, and there's no way that will go well for either of us. A poison expert against a Byakugan? That's a tough fight.”

Naruto waved her off. “You've got this! Nobody's half as scary as you.”

“Excuse me?” Fu called, dropping across Naruto’s shoulders. “Did you just imply that I'm not scary?”

“Not as much as Sakura,” Naruto insisted. “She’s way easier to make mad.”

“...That's a good point,” Fu allowed. Then, for no apparent reason, she asked, “Where's Gaara?”

Naruto frowned, looking around. “I...I don't know.” Temari and Kankuro were leaning against a wall, chatting casually, but Gaara wasn't with them. Naruto scanned the crowd for familiar red hair, and froze when he spotted it. 

“Fu,” he whispered. “It's  _ happening.” _

He had to cover her mouth to keep her from squealing when she saw what he meant. 

Gaara, their lovable and awkward adoptive brother, was about to  _ actually speak  _ to Rock Lee. 

  
  
  
  
  


Gaara was going to die. 

Rock Lee was a sore spot for Gaara, even in a timeline where his mistakes had never been made. Looking at him was a reminder of what Gaara had become in another life, of the lengths he'd been willing to go to appease the voice whispering in the back of his mind. 

He still wasn't entirely sure how much had been Shukaku, and how much had been his own madness. Years of total isolation had not left him without scars. 

In this timeline, Lee was a happy person. He was clearly as motivated and strong as he had been before - more so, even - but he was also gentler, less scarred by the scorn around him. 

Gaara didn't know how much had been his words and how much had been the extra years of training with Gai, but he appreciated it. Seeing Lee walk unburdened was unspeakably satisfying; he hadn't realized he’d been so worried until he wasn't any longer.

Speaking with Gai had made Gaara realize that facing Lee again was going to be harder than just not hurting him. Lee would want to face Gaara in a fair fight, all out on both sides, and Gaara... _ couldn’t.  _ His strength was years ahead of where it should have been, and he was entirely in sync with Shukaku: there was no way for him to use his full strength and not risk harming Lee.

Still, Gaara didn’t want to insult him by holding back, which meant he only had one other option.

He had to talk to Lee. 

Approaching the boy took a good couple of minutes, as every time Gaara would take two steps forward he’d end up turning around and walking in a circle for a moment as he debated how badly he wanted to go forward.

Naruto was the one who would fight tooth and nail with someone and then shrug it off the next minute to become their best friend. Gaara himself was proof of that. 

Gaara had never had the ability to compartmentalize that way. His friends were his friends and his enemies were his enemies, and sometimes they crossed the line from one to the other but only under extreme circumstances. 

Rock Lee was one big blood stain on Gaara’s hands, and even though Gaara did not intended to repeat that mistake, he still couldn’t help but think that the person who had once nearly destroyed Lee should not be able to befriend him. 

Lee in the original timeline had forgiven Gaara for his wrongdoings, because that was the kind of person he was. Unburdened, unresentful. But for Gaara to take this as permission to be his friend this time, to stand at his side without the weight of his sins between them…

He couldn’t. He  _ couldn’t.  _

If he were to befriend Lee, Lee would know what he was, first. Naruto had his friends who did not know about his first life, but Gaara had kept secrets from no one close to him but his blood family. 

Gaara turned on his heel, exiting yet another cycle of pacing across the floor, only to run square into someone.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said quickly, stepping back, forcing his sand shield closer to his skin to keep Shukaku from striking out for his mistake. “I didn’t-...”

His throat closed.

Lee bowed deeply before him, ponytail flinging wildly, as he shouted out a loud “I am sorry! I should have been watching where I was going more closely.”

“...It’s okay,” Gaara said, and watched with a sort of numb horror as Lee looked up and realized who was speaking to him. “It was my fault. I was actually looking for you.”

Lee straightened, eyes wide and face slack with shock. “You were looking for me? I did not expect you to remember who I am! I have not spoken to you in several years, and we only met the once.”

“I remember,” Gaara said, and looked away to avoid the openly awed expression he’d received for that. “I wanted to speak to you, about our fight.” 

“I am looking forward to it!” Lee said. “I have trained very hard in my years to become a taijutsu master, and I have heard that our fighting styles should prove excellent compliments for each other’s! Please do not hold back, I want to see who is the honest victor between us.”

“I can’t do that.”

Gaara looked back to see Lee looking  _ crushed,  _ and he scrambled to explain himself. 

“I haven’t hurt anyone in a long time,” Gaara said. “It’s very important to me to only fight when I am protecting those I care about. I will not be able to make myself fight fully in a situation where nothing is at risk - especially if it means harming you.”

Lee stared at him, and then slowly blinked, murmuring, “I am important to you?” 

“Of course,” Gaara said, without hesitation. “I told you that when we met.”

Lee launched forward, unexpectedly, and grabbed Gaara’s hands in his own. “Then that is how you will fight me!” Lee said. “You fight your best to protect those important to you, so they don’t get hurt. Nothing would hurt me more than to know you did not try your best! Even if I lose terribly, I want to do so honestly. I did not come this far to be treated as if I were weak - let me meet you as an equal!”

Gaara’s eyes dropped to the hands holding his, utterly taken aback by the contact. Even with his sand shield, physical contact was always startling and intense, and this was no exception. It was worse, even, given that Lee was also staring at him intently and speaking as though he valued no opinion higher than Gaara’s.

_ Naruto inspires people,  _ Gaara thought.  _ Not me. I’m just… _

“...I will try my best,” Gaara muttered. As Lee pulled his hands back to pump them into the air in a cheer, Gaara slowly stepped back, almost in a daze. 

Off to the side, laughing at his friend’s stunned look and red cheeks, Naruto wondered when Gaara was going to realize how bad Lee was crushing on him - or how close to mutual it was. 

He’d have to have a talk with him, Naruto supposed. Gaara was really dense about those kind of things. 

  
  
  
  
  


Genma watched two tiny, pale, black-haired kids stare each other down in the center of the chunin exam arena, and wondered if anyone else was noticing what he was: the fact that, if Sai’s eyes were white instead of black, the two would look like siblings.

Sai had a distinctly Uchiha look to him, at first glance, but up close with a Hyuuga, there were a few pretty jarring similarities. 

While Sai had the Uchiha eyes - sharp, narrow, and black as night - his mouth and nose were more rounded, and his jaw wasn’t the harsh line that the Uchiha tended to have.

He looked very similar to Hinata, with her gentle round face and soft lines. He was pale as hell, yeah, but his complexion was closer to Neji’s than Sasuke’s. 

He had the sharp brow bone of the branch family, too. 

_ Where did this kid come from?  _ Genma wondered.  _ He was assigned to guard Fu, right? That means he’s one of Danzo’s.  _

_...Shit. _

Danzo was a creepy bastard with a penchant for sticking his bony little fingers into other people’s pies, and he’d been eyeing the Hyuuga clan for a  _ long  _ time. The Byakugan was a powerful weapon, right up there with the Sharingan, and Genma figured there was probably little Danzo  _ wouldn’t  _ do to get his hands on one. 

Little including, perhaps, finding a way to get a branch family baby out from under the control of the Hyuuga.

It wouldn’t have even been hard, Genma realized, feeling sick. If Danzo had pulled aside  _ any  _ branch family member and said he would keep their baby safe from being given the curse mark, he could see how it would be tempting to agree. What exactly the curse mark  _ did,  _ Genma couldn’t say, but he did know that all the Hyuuga he’d met  _ hated  _ it and that it could be used to kill them instantly if a main family member deemed it fit. That’s not something anyone would want their kid burdened with.

The theory was starting to make a whole lot of sense, and Genma wasn’t liking it. He tried to comfort himself with the holes in the story, but…

But plenty of Hyuuga kids were born without the Byakugan. Plenty of children could have slipped through the cracks, marked stillborn or simply never marked down at all. Plenty of people could have supplied the jet black eyes that sat in that kid’s head, if they weren’t his own natural ones. 

Shit. He was gonna have to look into it, wasn’t he?

He was really starting to wish he was less observant. 

“Alright, kids,” he called out, bringing himself back into the moment to do his current job. “Next match, Hinata vs. Sai. Three, two, one….Go.”

  
  
  
  


Hinata’s hands went up the second the countdown started, her palms facing out as she readied her Byakugan for a defense. 

She could hear Naruto cheering her on, earlier, and the thought made her slightly woozy. Kiba’s warnings echoed in her ears, but she forced them out.

_ This isn’t about them,  _ she reminded herself.  _ If you become a chunin, you’ll do it for yourself _ **_._ **

She loved her team like family. She idolized Naruto, same as most of their class had. Both of those were true - but above all that, above every other thing, she worried.

She was not strong. Her Byakugan was weaker than Neji’s, weaker even than her sister Hanabi’s, and she had no way of improving it since she lost her position as clan heiress. Hanabi and Neji both received the training they were due as prodiges, but everything Hinata learned would need to be fought for. 

It wasn’t about being the best. It had nothing to do with her ego or her pride - it had  _ everything  _ to do with her faith. To be confident, in herself and her village, she needed to be strong enough to protect what she cared about. 

She’d rather be a medic-nin than a front line fighter, but even then...each time she failed a practice assignment, she worried what would happen when it  _ wasn’t  _ just practice. 

If she had someone’s life in her hands - anyone’s at all, whether she knew them or not - could she keep them safe?

She didn’t know, and she hated it.

So she stared down this kid, Sai, and told herself that she didn’t have time to lose holding back. Fighting Sai was the way to become a chunin, and becoming a chunin was the way to stay useful, both to her team and to Konoha. 

She couldn’t hesitate.

Genma called  _ go,  _ and she moved full force ahead.

_ Like it’s life or death,  _ she promised herself.  _ Because someday, it will be.  _

  
  
  
  


Orochimaru hadn’t told Sai how to end the exams.

He wasn’t certain if he was supposed to win or not, and his original plan - to watch what Kabuto did and mirror it - hadn’t worked out, because he was first. 

When the Hyuuga girl took a defensive stance across from him, he wondered if he should follow it into an attack of his own, or simply wait.

He could think of nothing beneficial in idling, nor in attacking. He was there to protect the jinchuuriki girl until the end of the exams. There was no secondary goal, no extra objective. Just the order to see it through until the end.

Fu was safe, and the time for teams in the exam had passed. He was done, right?

...Unless Fu was still in danger in direct matches. If she won the fourth match, she’d fight whichever person won the third - meaning either Hinata, or Sai.

Sai could throw the fight without harming Fu, if he was her opponent. He could not affect the match otherwise.

That settled it, then - he’d have to win. 

He pulled out a blank scroll and a brush, and prepared to fight.

  
  
  
  
  


The match was a blur. 

All observers could see were flashes of light as Hinata moved, the force and speed of the Byakugan hard for any eye to follow, and the splashes of ink as Sai’s painted creatures fell to her open-palmed blows.

For those actually  _ in  _ the fight, things were barely easier to follow. 

Hinata kept her palms chakra-coated and her eyes out for the ink-line animals that Sai kept creating to keep her at bay. 

He hadn’t been fooled by her false defense, and had made his counterattack before she’d even truly decided her first move. Each time she went to strike, her palms met ink. Instead of cutting off chakra inside Sai’s body, she shattered the threads that kept the ink together, splattering it across the arena. 

A few drops would occasionally strike her cheeks, dangerously close to an eye, and she retreated a few steps to wipe them off. 

“You are fast,” Sai observed. “But much slower than your...cousin, was it?”

Hinata’s eyebrows pinched in an affronted frown. “Neji is better with his Byakugan than me,” she allowed. “But I don’t need to be the best to be good.”

Sai’s head tipped to the side, just slightly, and he looked considering. “Don’t you? If you aren’t the best, what’s it matter?”

“Every person is good at something,” she said. “And everyone is bad at something else. I don’t have to be the strong _ est _ , I just have to be strong  _ enough _ .”

“The strongest is  _ always  _ strong enough,” Sai countered. “If I am going to devote my time to something, I won’t settle for being  _ good  _ at it. You shouldn’t, either.”

“I…” She shifted, deactivating and reactivating the chakra coatings on her palms as she faltered. “You’re the same as Neji, aren’t you?”

Sai looked blank.

“You won’t ever be as strong as you want,” she said. “So you just accepted that your struggle would never end, instead of looking for another way. You’re the type that will be fighting every day he’s alive, when he really doesn’t need to at all.”

“You’re wrong,” Sai said, before giving her a small, pleasant smile. “I don’t care about fighting. I’m just supposed to stay with Fu until the exams end, to finish my mission. You don’t matter to me at all.” 

_ His eyes,  _ Hinata realized, taking a small half-step back.  _ They’re…empty. _

He didn’t give her the chance to recover, simply flicked out his brush, sending another round of painted tigers to chase after her.

Chakra-tipped fingers jabbed into the lines at the center of the tigers’ ‘throats’ sent them splaying out, while Hinata’s mind turned over her newest observation.

_ What is he?  _ she wondered, as she struck through his creations.  _ He really doesn’t care at all. What made him that way? _

Hinata kept her stance wide, facing off against a flurry of ink birds, trying to keep track of how many there were as best she could.

The extra focus was her undoing: she paid so much mind to the birds, she missed Sai stepping into her blind spot until the kunai came over her shoulder, hooking around her throat.

“Surrender,” he said, tone pleasantly bored. “Or I could kill you pretty easily, if you’d rather not. The match ends either way, so I still don’t care.” 

Heaving a harsh breath, Hinata turned her head just slightly, feeling the blade press against her skin as she turned wide eyes on Sai.

“If you don’t care,” she whispered, terrified to speak too loudly for fear of losing her nerve. “Then why are you fighting?”

Sai’s head tipped, and she saw something stir within those dark black eyes - something deeply buried, and endlessly suffering. 

“If not me, who?”

  
  
  
  


Hinata didn’t hear Genma call the match, those words echoing in her ears.

In all her time worrying about her path as a ninja, she hadn’t ever thought of that.

If she held back - if she washed her hands of violence and passed up on being a kunoichi - who would take her place?

Sai fought to protect loved ones, too, she realized. Except he wasn’t guarding them  _ in  _ a fight - he was guarding them  _ from  _ it. 

In the light of that, everything she’d learned to fight for seemed...petty. 

Something within her stirred, finally shaking the reluctance she’d approached all violence with her whole life.

She’d figured it out. She’d found the key to who she wanted to be, all locked up inside a quiet, lonely boy who no one knew. 

If she was going to fight, it wouldn’t be for her pride or her heart or anything like that.

She was going to fight so that, one day, no one would have to. 

_ That  _ was a goal she could get behind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (finger guns) hinata's fight was super short and not very detailed because most of her story arc is gonna be Later  
> and yea, she's getting character development  
> im stealing all of kishimoto's female characters he doesnt deserve them


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gee whiz readers your author lets you have TWO fights??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fu is gay  
> there was going to be more here but i feel like that sums it up tbh

Fu was practically vibrating with excitement, and Naruto watched her with amusement, waiting for her patience to finally snap.

“Come on, come on, come on!” she muttered under her breath. “Ugh! How long does it take to clean up an arena? They didn’t even damage anything! Let me down there!”

“In a hurry to get your ass kicked?” Temari asked, walking up to them with a grin. 

“ _ Yes, _ ” Fu said, entirely serious. “This is going to be the most fun I’ve had since I got Gaara to dance with me.”

“You what?” Kankuro asked.

“It was a secret, so don’t say anything,” she said. “But I was turning my flexibility exercises into dancing, and he went along with it for a while. It was funny to watch someone dance with such a serious facial expression.”

“I would  _ pay  _ to see that.”

Fu grinned. “You absolutely would. We’d  _ all  _ pay.” 

“Temari, Fu,” Genma called out. Before he could even finish calling them down, Fu body flickered to his side, grinning up at him. 

“Front and center!” she announced. “Can we start now?”

Temari strolled up at a more relaxed pace, not seeing a benefit to a body flicker - she was going to need every ounce of chakra she could save for the fight. Fu was a tough opponent, and they were both gonna need to work for a win. 

“Yeah, why not,” Genma said, not even bothering to argue it. He figured their fight would take a minute, so he’d probably have time to look into the whole Sai thing a little. “Three, two, one,” he counted off. “Go.”

He flickered out of the arena as Fu cheered.

Temari unstrapped her fan from her back, pulling it around to rest in front of her. “Okay, sprout. Get serious. I’m not gonna go easy on you.”

Fu looked at her, batting her eyelashes in false innocence. “Oh? I was going to say the same thing to you.”

“Shit!” Temari swore, bouncing back a step, as Fu’s sclera turned a dark red and wings sprouted from her back. “Two on one isn’t fair, asshole.”

“Take it as a compliment!” Fu called back, launching herself off the ground, wings working to keep her hovering in the air. 

Temari didn’t have anything to do but act, so she swung her fan, sending a strong gust of air straight toward Fu. 

Fu curled in on herself, catching the blast to her core and letting it push her back, before beating her wings hard, turning the wind downward to launch her up. 

Temari waved the fan again, just as Fu made the hand signs for her favorite self-made jutsu: one she named _ Butterfly Blast.  _ Named for the butterfly effect, she caught the wind sent her way in a cloak of her chakra, and redirected it, pushing it back tenfold in the direction it came from.

Temari leaped out of the way just in time to watch the wind gouge up the ground where she’d been standing.

“Okay,” she breathed out, floored. “We’re not playing around. Got it.”

She reached up to her hair, pulling out three hairpins: long needle ones with tiny glass orbs at the end, with a small opening at the top. Weaving her way quickly through the necessary signs, she summoned up more wind chakra, setting the pins on the tips of her fingers and then flinging them out, launching them as projectiles. 

Fu dodged, using Chomei’s fast reflexes to deflect the needles with a kunai. “I’m too fast for senbon!” she called. “You know this, silly.”

Temari smirked to herself, and made the final hand sign for her jutsu. “Those weren’t senbon. I got those from Kankuro.” 

Fu blinked, confused, trying to puzzle out if that meant they were poisoned.

The same second she figured it out, it was too late.

Temari activated the chakra strands the needles had attached her her knife, yanking it back out of her hand and flinging it around to drive it right toward Fu’s chest.

“Shit!” Fu curled in her wings and let herself drop, unfolding them only to catch herself inches from the ground. “Okay, that was cool. My turn.” She brought a new hand sign up to her chest, and tipped her head forward, her forehead shifting to develop a stinger like that of the rhino beetle Chomei resembled. “Beetle Sting!” she announced, wings shifting as she launched herself forward again.

With Fu tipped straight forward, there wasn’t enough surface area in front of Temari to successfully fan her away without moving. As such, Temari launched sideways first, and then waved her fan from the side, hitting Fu at an angle that sent her spinning out toward the wall. 

Fu flipped herself over in the air and dropped to the dirt, skidding back a few feet before straightening back up. She was barely fully stopped before she was launching forward again. 

The two danced around the arena for a bit, Temari dodging the stinger four or five times before she finally got sick of waiting for Fu to change tactics. 

“Alright, bug girl,” she called out. “Try this.” 

She spun her fan around, grabbing the end of it, and attaching a thick chakra strand to it, pouring enough chakra into the joints to lock it open. Once satisfied it would stay sturdy, she stepped back to pull the string taut, and then flicked her arm to throw it toward Fu.

Fu launched straight up, watching the fan smack the dirt where she’d just been. “Is that supposed to be a fly swatter?” she cried, outraged.

“You wanted to be a pest!” Temari called back.

_ Let’s get her good!  _ Chomei called from the back of her mind.  _ I’m not a pest! _

Fu cracked her knuckles, and weaved the signs for a jutsu Gaara had helped her make: a lightning release, with a chakra-coated fist shoved straight down into the dirt. Lightning shot from her hand along the ground, using the groundwater as a conductor to electrify the earth. She pulled her hand free, grinning. 

It took Temari a second to realize what that did: while her shoes’ soles insulated against the shock where she stood, the ground was live now. If her wind attacks gouged into the dirt, the static would be released. 

She had to make sure she wasn’t anywhere near the ground her attacks hit.

Luckily, though, the area of effect would also pose a risk to Fu. More so, even: Fu wouldn’t have the foresight to where it would land to get clear in time. 

That in mind, Temari yanked the chakra string to pull the fan back to her, and spun it sharply, letting the wind gauge into the ground in a wide arc in front of her. 

As the dirt scattered, the static released, creating visible lines of pure lightning shooting out for the briefest of seconds.

Fu swore, just barely avoiding getting blasted by them as she sprung back. Unfortunately, the static clouded the air, making her hair stand on edge...and her wings fritz out, the soft tissue too agitated to easily hold her. She dropped to the ground, hitting down hard on one knee. 

“You okay?” Temari asked, reflex from their training sessions winning out.

“All good!” Fu confirmed. “Let’s try that again.”

The cloud of static in the air was suffocating, but Fu knew how to use that to her advantage. Lightning had never been her strong suit, and wind was just Chomei’s specialty, but her affinity had always been water. 

Luckily, water  _ really liked  _ static. 

She weaved through her signs, and launched out a water cannon, making sure to aim it to cut straight through the densest static. 

Temari waved her fan, trying to blow the water away before it hit, but all it did was cut it from a solid stream into droplets, a few stray ones landing on the surface of her fan and leaving a scorched mark where they touched. One drop hit her arm, and she cursed, the shock making her whole arm protest as the muscles spasmed. 

“Whoops! You good?”

“Peachy.”

Fu grinned. “Good.” She brought her hand signs back up, and activated her chakra in the water that now soaked the dirt, sparking the electricity in it to life. “Static Mist!”

The water raised from the ground as a harsh steam, and Temari backed up, balking at it. 

She had no way to contest it, she realized. If she waved her fan, she could permanently damage it, and it would just make the mist spread farther. It would be even harder to dodge the more times she deflected it.

Shit.

She hopped back a few steps to stay clear of it, and snapped her fan shut, raising one hand into the air in the sign for a yield. 

“Hell yeah!” Fu cheered, instantly dropping the jutsu and letting the sparks fizzle out, mud cooking itself into brick in the center of the arena. “Score one for the tailed beast squad!”

There was a distant  _ whoop  _ of joy that had to be Naruto, and she shot a grin and a thumbs up toward it. 

“That was good,” Temari said. “But in a real fight, that would have risked you just as bad as me. You need to think ahead more.”

“Eh, I’d be fine,” Fu said. “Chomei is really good at healing me. She’s better at it than any of the others, I think. Naruto always runs a fever when he’s healing, and Shukaku just panics when Gaara is even bruised. And then there’s  _ Yagura _ , and-..”

“I get the picture,” Temari laughed. “But don’t waste chakra on healing wounds you don’t need to get in the first place.”

“Aw, Temari!” Fu launched forward, throwing her arms around the other girl, pressing their cheeks together happily. “You care!”

“Please let go of me.”

“Not a chance!”

  
  
  


Talking to a few of the other jounin Genma could trust revealed to him that absolutely  _ no one  _ knew who the hell Sai was, but he wasn’t actually Danzo’s.

He was  _ Orochimaru’s.  _

The former missing-nin’s tentative parole in the village was a hot topic for debate for almost everyone in Konoha, and opinions only varied in the severity of how opposed each person was. No one was really  _ happy  _ about it. 

To hear that the safety of a jinchuuriki had been placed in the hands of two subordinates of Orochimaru...wasn’t great. It  _ also  _ didn’t help the questions stirring in Genma’s mind about Sai’s origins, because while Danzo was the type to think stealing a child was justified in the grand scheme of things, Orochimaru was the type to do it just because he felt like it. 

...God, he didn’t even want to know about the other one, did he? The one fighting Sasuke, Kabuto, was probably some kind of top tier freak experiment, and he was old enough to be indoctrinated into whatever weird cult beliefs Orochimaru operated on. 

When the fight ended, he had to return to the arena to get it ready for the next fight, but he made a mental note to keep an eye on Sasuke’s match, when it came up. 

Something told him it’d be a doozy. 

  
  
  


“You did awesome!” Naruto praised, hugging Fu and lifting her off the ground with the force of it. “You totally kicked butt. It was so cool.”

“You nearly hurt yourself a few times,” Gaara said.

“Temari already lectured me,  _ mom,”  _ Fu told him. “Just be proud of me. And get ready, because I’m gonna kick  _ your  _ ass next. You know they’re gonna make us fight.”

“I’m excited,” Naruto said. “We never really go head-to-head  _ against  _ each other.”

“Because we’d  _ die,”  _ Fu said. “We’d never  _ stop  _ fighting. We’d run ourselves into the dirt.”

“Well, get ready, then,” Naruto said. “We’ll see in round two.”

“You have to win your fights first, doofus.”

“Easy!” Naruto said. “Well, mine is. Gaara will probably have a hard time fighting Lee without being distracted by his big, beautiful eyebrows.” 

Gaara glared at him. “Kurama,” he said, watching Naruto’s face twist into horror. “Did you know Naruto never graduated, the first time? He was still a genin in the end of everything.”

“You monster,” Naruto accused. “He’ll never shut up about that, now.”

Gaara smiled. “Oh, I’m sorry. I wouldn't know what that’s like at all. You’re always so restrained in your commentary.”

Fu cackled as Naruto’s face fell, despairing at whatever silent internal mockery he was enduring. 

God, she loved her family.

  
  
  
  


“Ino and Tenten,” Genma announced, when the next round was ready. “Three, two, one. Go.” 

Ino made the first move, throwing a stone the same way she had when fighting Sakura. Temari knocked it aside with a kunai, and Ino made her hand sign at the same second the knife made contact, shattering the stone into shrapnel again.

Tenten brought her arms up over her head to block the shards, leaving them to stab into her forearms and cut up her sleeves. 

“Don’t touch the rocks,” she murmured to herself, Lee’s habit of taking notes mid-training having rubbed off on her far too long ago to save it now. “Got it.” 

She weaved a few signs and slammed her hands down, building a mud dome around her, giving her a few seconds of safety to scrawl out a messy seal on a blank scroll.

It was a good thing she was fast - Ino barely gave her a heartbeat before she was blasting the mud wall open with a water cannon. 

Tenten launched out of her hiding space, darting across the arena, making her motions obvious. 

Ino, skilled in psychology above all else, didn’t take the bait. Instead of trying to attack Tenten in motion, she hit the ground again, raising the dirt into harsh, uneven mounds.

Tenten tripped as one sprung up under her foot, but she recovered it, rolling to rest on the earth in a crouch.

Ino didn’t give her time to get up: three more stones were launched, her jutsu shattering them into shrapnel with they were still in the air. 

Tenten’s grin made Ino’s stomach flip.  _ Shit, what did she…? _

The scroll Tenten had prepped in the mud dome made an appearance, unrolling from her left hand and being pulled in an arc across her face. 

A one-handed sign to activate the seal on it, and Tenten’s seal opened, sealing the shrapnel inside. Ino predicted the next move and dodged backwards just in time for Tenten to drop the seal to the ground and release the shards, sending them right back where they came from. 

Ino ended up with her back almost to the wall, struggling to dodge every piece of her own destructive attack.

Eager to end the fight while she had the upper hand, Tenten unrolled a second scroll, unsealing kunai from it and throwing them out in a wide arc. Ino had already recovered, though, and dodged each one. The second she had the time, she was weaving the hand signs for an earth jutsu, creating a fist over the brick Fu’s final move had left in the arena to catch Tenten.

Tenten struggled in its grasp, but there was little she could do to get free.

Ino made the hand signs she needed for her signature jutsu: a mind-body transfer. A grin stretching across her face, she walked to stand face-to-face with Tenten, so she was close enough for the jutsu.

A moment later, she was looking at her own unconscious form through Tenten’s eyes. 

“Ah, great,” she said. “Now, Tenten. You lose the match the second you are in a position where I could kill you without retaliation.” She released herself - theirself? - from the earth fist, stepping toward Tenten’s abandoned kunai sealing scroll. “I think a kunai against your throat counts, yeah?”

Buried in the back of her own mind, Tenten wished she had the control of her mouth to laugh. 

Ino could feel her amusement, but didn’t understand why - up until she set Tenten’s hand down on the seal and tried to activate it.

Tenten’s seals had two-point keys. One hand had to hit the center to activate it, but another had to touch down on a trigger point to deactivate the traps that each one was armed with. 

Ino ended up having to spring back to avoid getting hit with the senbon that flew out, only to realize a beat too late that she’d dodged with the wrong body.

Lying unconscious on the ground,  _ Ino’s  _ body took several hits - minor ones, since she was down low and most of the needles flew upward, but still significant. 

Ino swore and dissolved the jutsu before she hurt herself further, blinking open on the dirt.

Her mouth tasted strongly of copper, and she knew she’d spent too long in the mind transfer. Between that and the numbness of her arm where the needles stabbed into it, she knew she wasn’t going to be in fighting shape any time soon. 

“I yield,” she sighed, from her place in the dirt. Instantly, Tenten was standing over her, offering her a hand up. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Tenten said. “That was a fun match. Your earth jutsu thing is pretty cool. Show me sometime?”

“Only if you make my sealing scrolls for me,” Ino returned. “Maybe without the traps, though.”

Tenten laughed, and Ino felt herself smile. 

The thing she loved most about Konoha was that, at the end of the day, they were all happy to see each other succeed. There wasn’t room for bitterness in the Konoha genin. 

She’d rather lose to a friend than win against an enemy, anyway. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> told ya


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The two chillest bros in the village go head to head. It's a fun time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is the longest fight, in word count, I think  
> at least so far ;)

“How are you feeling?”

Kiba grimaced at Hinata’s question. “I should be asking you that. Are you alright after that match? I saw that kid say something to you - it wasn’t anything I need to kick his ass for, right?”

Hinata shook her head quickly. “N-no, he didn’t say anything bad. I was actually pretty inspired.” She looked distant, for a moment, before snapping back into the moment. “But you’re up next! Are you nervous?”

Kiba looked to the side, where he could see his opponent standing with his siblings. 

Kankuro was  _ built,  _ standing about five centimeters taller than him and with biceps the size of Kiba’s  _ legs.  _ More than that, his puppets were supposedly wicked distance weapons, and Kiba was more of a close-range fighter.

Kiba was probably fucked.

“I’ve never been more excited in my life,” he told Hinata, completely honestly. “This is gonna be fun as hell.”

Genma called for them to head down to the arena for the match, and Kiba shot Hinata a thumbs up and booked it down the stairs. 

He was probably going to be smeared into the wall at the end of things, but he’d have fun getting there, at least.

  
  
  
  


“...It’s  _ Kiba,  _ yeah?” Kankuro muttered to Genma, just as the other kid started heading toward them. “Temari and Naruto were laughing too hard for me to figure out what they were saying.”

“Kiba Inuzuka,” Genma confirmed. “And his dog is Akamaru.” 

“...Like, the color?” 

“Yeah.”

Kankuro looked at the young dog at Kiba’s side. He was probably about a year old, or so, and  _ massive.  _

And, most importantly, white.

“Why name a white dog ‘red’?” Kankuro wondered. 

Kiba slowed as he neared, head tipping sideways. “Akamaru’s name?” he guessed, catching the last comment if not the conversation that led to it. “His fur changes.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out soldier pills, one of which he popped out and offered to the dog.

Kankuro watched as the pup snatched it up, munched on it for a moment, and then began to...morph, almost. His fur took on a red tint, and Kankuro thought he might have grown a bit, but he was too massive for it to make much difference. 

“Oh,” he mumbled, weakly. 

He hadn’t realized he was afraid of dogs until that moment.

_ Good to know, I guess,  _ he thought to himself.

Man, he wasn’t looking forward to this.

“Three, two, one,” Genma counted down. “Go.”

A blur of red marked Akamaru’s opening lunge, and the fight was on.

  
  
  


“He looks like he’s going to throw up,” Temari said, squinting down at her brother as he took in his opponent for the first time up close. “Has he ever even met a dog?”

“There was a small one, I think, in Suna,” Gaara murmured thoughtfully. “With the older woman down the road from us?”

“Oh, yeah,” Temari recalled. “That thing was like, twelve, though. And smaller than my hand fans. Doesn’t count.”

“Then no,” Gaara said. “He’s never met a dog.”

“Well, that’s gonna be fun.”

Gaara hummed in agreement, and Temari eyed him, weighing the tension in his face.

“You’re really worried about your fight, huh?” she inquired, nudging his side with her elbow. “Don’t stress out. You know how to fight without getting out of control. You do it against Kankuro and I all the time.”

That was  _ true,  _ and Gaara knew that, but the anxiety didn’t ease even slightly. “But it only takes a small mistake to be devastating,” he said. “What if-...?”

“Sakura’s medical jutsu is revolutionary,” Temari cut him off. “Naruto is a seal master with a knack for inventing things that absolutely should not work, but do. You know more about herbal medicine than medic-nin that have been studying for their whole lives, because you can’t stop playing with plants to avoid people. If anything happens, worse case scenario is you have to scramble to find a way to fix it. Which you absolutely could, if you needed to, but you  _ won’t.” _

Gaara took a deep, steadying breath. “Thank you. That...helps.”

“What else are big sisters for?”

“I assumed it was mostly teasing and eyeliner theft.”

“Watch it, brat. I’ll run you into the dirt.”

  
  
  
  


Kankuro was fast - exceptionally so. Kiba supposed that made sense: Naruto was prone to body flickering more than just plain running, and the other jinchuuriki were tended to follow his lead, so training with them was probably half just trying to keep up. 

Still, it took him by surprise to find that one second he was  _ certain  _ Akamaru was going to pin him under his first lunge, ending the fight before it even really started, and the next he was staring at the older boy from all the way across the arena. 

Kankuro’s hands were in constant motion, and Kiba watched the nearly invisible strands of chakra glint from his fingertips, pulling the two puppets he’d unstrapped in his backward lunge into action. 

“Meet Crow,” Kankuro introduced, cheerily. “And this guy is Dragonfly. Naruto helped me make him, so try not to break him. Naruto has a tendency to rig things to explode.”

Kiba grimaced. “Yeah, thanks,” he said, somewhat sarcastically, as he wasn’t sure if that had been a teasing threat or a genuine warning. Either way, he wasn’t wrong: if Naruto’s seals were anywhere on that thing, he wanted to stay as far away from it as possible. 

Kankuro’s fingers twitched and pulled, and the puppet on the left - Crow, if he’d caught the introductions correctly - opened its hands, launching out small spheres that smashed in midair a few feet from their origin and let loose huge clouds of black smoke.

Kiba grinned, pleased with the choice of tactic, because the smoke had no smell. Kankuro couldn’t have picked a worse distraction for an Inuzuka. 

“Come on, boy,” Kiba called to Akamaru, before swinging up to sit on the dog’s back. “Sniff him out.” 

Akamaru charged into the smoke without hesitation, nose to the ground, plowing straight ahead toward the hidden puppeteer. 

The dog stopped at the foot of one of the few large trees scattered about the arena’s edge, barking up toward the branches to indicate where their target had gotten off to.

Kiba pulled out a few kunai, tossing them in a wide arc into the treetop, and grinning as he heard one tear through fabric.

The celebration was a bit early: the fabric turned out to be some sort of suspension system, and the second puppet dropped down in front of them, twin sets of paddle-like wings sticking out of its back like the bug it was named for.

Kiba wasn’t a strategist, really, but he’d been impressed enough by Fu’s use of her wings in her fight that he could recognize that those wings were probably there to ruin his day. 

“Shit,” he swore, pulling Akamaru to back up quickly, getting clear just in time for the paddles to start wildly spinning. 

They didn’t push air out, like Fu’s had, but instead sucked it in, creating a heavy pull in front of it. 

Kiba had to hop off Akamaru’s back to dig his own heels into the dirt, holding tight to his companion to keep them from getting dragged any closer to the puppet. 

It worked - mostly. The two of them together were grounded at six points, and that was enough to slow the drag to a crawl, shifting them forward one or two centimeters at a time at best. 

“Sorry for this, buddy,” Kiba murmured, before releasing Akamaru to free his hands for signs. Akamaru let out a low whine as they were quickly dragged nearly a foot ahead, but Kiba moved fast, summoning up a jutsu for an earth cannon. 

The cannon built itself from the dirt before him, and Kiba grabbed onto it to hold himself still before firing it off. 

He realized his mistake the same second he made it: he’d forgotten Kankuro’s warning.

Round rocks smashed through the wooden panes of Dragonfly’s wings, and billowed out from the empty spaces left behind. Instead of the light grey of the smoke bomb’s clouds, this was a dark, sickening purple, and Kiba didn’t have to be a genius to guess it was poisoned.

Man, he hated poison. Why didn’t anyone in this village fight  _ fair?  _

“Akamaru, back up!” Kiba warned. The dog turned and fled immediately, circling around in a wide arc to come at Kiba from the side, scooping him back up and running to get clear of the smoke.

They made it to the center of the arena before Kankuro made an appearance, dropping into their path through some sort of trickery Kiba had missed completely. 

Crow opened its mouth in front of them, and Kiba’s ears (and Akamaru’s, judging by their nervous twitch) caught the sound of the wooden mouth of Dragonfly dropping open behind them as well. 

“Twin Cannons,” Kankuro announced. “Acid streams.”

“Oh, come  _ on,”  _ Kiba whined, pulling Akamaru’s neck fur to one side to steer them out of the path. 

The two streams of nasty green liquid slammed into each other in midair, creating a pressure ball in between them that sent drops flying out in all directions. 

“Okay, so the middle’s out,” Kiba murmured, mind racing as he tried to keep up with Kankuro’s strategy. “And the north and south sides are both manned, and the north is poisoned. West or east, bud?”

Akamaru let out a bark and arced toward the west end of the room full speed. 

Not waiting for Kiba’s agreement, then. Probably a good thing - Kiba was still reeling from all the smoke clouds. 

He was going to start a petition for every chunin exam to be taijutsu only. He’d take losing horribly to Rock Lee over this crap.

  
  
  
  


Maybe going full force on the poisons and not the physical attacks of his puppets was probably a little bit unfair, and almost certainly unnecessary, but Kankuro wasn’t going to waste the opportunity to show his potential.

He had no illusions about the exams: the jinchuuriki had it, hands down. The rest of them were totally screwed out of a graduation this year, and the sooner they accepted that, the better.

_ But.  _ If Kankuro could prove himself a competent fighter, he could be put on special tactics teams, which could lead to field promotions. He and Temari had agreed to aim for that, and so they weren’t holding back. 

If Gaara got promoted and they didn’t, their team wouldn’t dissolve - they were still technically  _ on  _ a mission, according to Rasa’s parting orders to them. But if Gaara was a higher rank, he could be made to do  _ more,  _ and they’d be unable to help him in any way as long as their clearance was lower than his. 

They couldn’t afford to be left behind, not with Gaara in as risky a position as he was. They weren’t going to lose their brother to some creepy mercenary cult. 

(There was also a lesser, petty motivation, that Kankuro was pretty sure he wouldn’t get to fight Sakura, and wanted to show her that he still had some cool tricks he’d kept out of their training matches. But it was  _ mainly _ about Gaara.)

When Kiba and Akamaru fled to the west end of the arena, Kankuro scrambled to come up with a trick to catch him without ruining any more of the arena. 

Unlike Sakura, Kankuro wasn’t crazy enough to ingest his own poison, and so he’d really rather  _ not  _ have to walk through a cloud of it. The antidote tasted awful and made his whole body ache, and the poison itself wasn’t exactly pleasant. 

Both his puppets were out of commission for as long as he wanted the poison stream going, and he wanted that there as long as possible. If nothing else, it pinned Kiba in place, keeping him from doubling back to flee to the other side. That meant he had to resort to first-hand jutsu and weapons, which he...wasn’t great at. 

He could probably take Kiba, because he had a similar looking movement pattern to Naruto, and Kankuro had reached a point where he could counter that reasonably well. The dog, though, made it unbalanced. 

He needed them seperate, and that was very clearly not something that would be easy. 

What did he know about dogs?

_ Think, Kankuro,  _ he scolded himself. He’d never beaten the others he trained with on sheer physical prowess: his strength came from the fact that he was one of the few that thought ahead,  _ planning  _ his moves instead of just doing whatever came to mind first.  _ What do you know about dogs? _

Nothing solid or factual came to mind, just a distant memory of Gaara making fun of him for being able to sniff out food like a starving dog. 

...Huh.

  
  
  
  


Akamaru skid to a stop a few feet from the treeline around the arena, sniffing harshly at the air.

“What is it?” Kiba asked, hands tangling deep beneath Akamaru’s fur to keep him steady through the abrupt movement. “Smell something?”

Akamaru bristled, crouched to the ground, and let out a loud growl: he’d clearly smelt something  _ wrong,  _ and Kiba really hoped it wasn’t another type of poison. 

Akamaru crawled slowly forward, and Kiba leaned low to flatten against his back, minimizing their visibility as best he could. 

He spotted what Akamaru was smelling the same time the dog himself did, and straightened, alarmed at the sight. 

There were blotches of dark red blood littering the ground. 

“It’s a trap,” Kiba muttured. “It’s gotta be. We haven’t landed a hit on him.” He frowned, thinking, before nudging Akamaru. “Sniff him out. Where is he  _ really?”  _

Akamaru turned his nose into the air, taking a few hard sniffs…

...and then let out a low whine, quickly growing distressed. 

Kiba panicked, tipping his own head up to draw in a long breath. His nose wasn’t as sensitive as Akamaru’s, but it was above any normal human sense, and he could catch quickly what was wrong.

The whole arena smelled like it was  _ burning _ . 

There was no fire, that he could see, but that wasn’t saying much: with clouds of poison and smoke taking their time to dissipate, and a stream of wild splashing poison fluid cutting the battle grounds in half, a fire would have been rather easy to lose track of.

Not, however, one that was big enough to emit the smell tainting the air. It smelled like every individual grain of sand in the soil was alight, and for a second, Kiba wondered if it was the acid canons emitting the scent. It would make sense - except that it seemed to be coming from the  _ ground _ , not the acid streams.

“What’s going on?” he murmured, looking around the arena frantically, trying to place what was wrong. “What is-...?”

He cut off with a shout as the ground around them sprung up, forming a cage of solid rock, trapping them helplessly inside.

“What the hell?” he yelled, hopping off Akamaru’s back to run to the stone bars, trying to burst one open.

It didn’t give, even the slightest, and Kiba’s mind raced as he tried to puzzle out how to break it.

He didn’t get the chance.

Between one second and the next, Kankuro was standing next to him, puppets recalled to his side. 

Kiba looked down the cannon shaft inside Dragonfly’s mouth, and let out a harsh breath. In a real fight, he’d be dead, choking on the poison mist from the puppet.

“I yield,” he sighed out. “Now what the hell’s in the air?”

Kankuro grinned, reaching into his pocket, pulling out a small bag like one for a school lunch. Kiba watched as he opened it out, pulling out…

...Bread?

“Oh, you can’t be serious,” Kiba groaned, as he put it together.

The red on the ground wasn’t blood: it was  _ curry,  _ from a curry bread loaf Kankuro had apparently been hiding in his coat for a snack. 

“That stuff smells like it could eat through solid wood!” Kiba cried out. “Do you  _ eat  _ that?”

“Yeah,” Kankuro said. “Have since I was eight. Gaara just keeps making it stronger.”

_ That’s it,  _ Kiba thought. Konoha was a lost cause, and everyone in it was crazy. Kiba was moving to Kumo. 

...A jinchuuriki was second-in-command there, wasn’t he? The one that everyone said rapped constantly?

Geez. He couldn’t catch a break. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kankuro v kiba is the only fight where absolutely no one is injured even slightly so enjoy kids


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke vs Kabuto, and some other stuff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote a good portion of this at work on my phone because I was so determined to post it tonight so here ya go

When Genma called that the next match would be delayed a half hour, no one was really surprised - the arena had been filled almost entirely with poison, and no one really wanted to try and clean it out, so they were stuck waiting for the mist to dissipate and the liquid to dry. 

There was an alternate motive, though, to him pausing the exam: he needed time to look into his suspicions about Sai.

Which, really, meant he needed time to get someone  _ else  _ looking into it. He wasn’t in investigations for a  _ reason _ , dammit, and he wasn’t going to change that now. 

As such, he took the time he had to hunt down the one person he trusted to find out the truth without killing himself in the process: Inoichi Yamanaka. 

Inoichi was one of the guards for the private room of the arena, from which the various Kage watched the matches. Pulling him away from the station was something he wouldn’t normally even consider, given the amount of important people under his care, but he would trust the Anbu agents and other T&I officers to hold the fort while he shared his concerns.

“Genma,” Inoichi greeted, and frowned when Genma waved for him to follow. He signaled the other guards to fill his spot, though, and came along - Genma’s judgement was trustworthy, and Inoichi was confident whatever he was after was important. 

“Inoichi,” Genma started, when they were far enough into the hall to go unheard. “What do you know about Fu’s guards?”

Inoichi’s face pinched. “Not a lot, and what I do, I can’t say.”

Genma huffed out a breath around his senbon. “Yeah, that’s about what I expected. You can’t say anything, so just listen, and I’ll tell you what  _ I  _ think. Those kids are Orochimaru plants. The kid with the grey hair looks like he could be Kakashi’s cousin, and the other one looks like someone straight up kidnapped an Uchiha or Hyuuga baby. Or  _ both _ . Wherever these kids are from, whatever they’re doing here, it’s not good.” 

“That’s a given,” Inoichi said. “You got to  _ Orochimaru  _ on your own, though, so I shouldn’t have to tell you that.”

Genma worked his jaw, flicking the senbon back and forth in his mouth before settling it again to speak. “I think whatever they’re up to involves the jinchuuriki,” he said. “They were assigned to Fu for a reason.”

“You’ve reached the part where I can’t say anything,” Inoichi told him. 

“Great,” Genma sighed. “So we have to worry about  _ that,  _ then.” Rocking back on his heels, he shoved his hands into his pockets, and looked Inoichi dead in the eyes. “I’m changing the exam roster. Whatever mixups I have to do to get it right, I’m not letting either of those kids go up against a jinchuuriki in a match until I know what they’re up to, and what they’re capable of.”

“You’re in charge,” Inoichi told him. “I’ll let the Hokage know that the program will be a little different than expected, but only the first matches are set in advance. You can mix up the rest however you want.”

“Yeah, well, they’ll like this,” Genma said. “Because if I really want to keep the jinchuuriki out of harm’s way, they’re gonna end up all fighting each other.”

“Now  _ that  _ will be a good time.”

Genma rolled his eyes. “Tell that to whoever has to clean it up. This arena might not stay standing for long.”

  
  
  
  


“You guys  _ destroyed  _ that place,” Naruto said, staring out at the discolored ground of the arena. “Look, Kankuro! There is an  _ acid river  _ there.”

“Yeah, I know,” Kankuro said. “I made it.”

“It was pretty sweet,” Fu said. “Even if you totally missed.”

Kankuro bristled, offended. “Hey! I still won, and I didn’t get hit either!”

“Yeah, that was pretty cool,” Naruto said. “It’s not every day you see people fight without even hitting each other, y’know?”

“They were pretty closely matched,” Temari observed. “What was that you dropped on the ground at the end? It though Kiba off, but it didn’t look like any kind of poison or anything.”

“Curry,” Kankuro said. “He couldn’t smell me past the spices.” 

Fu and Naruto both cracked up laughing, which Temari looked to be heavily considering becoming an only child. 

“So what you’re saying is,” Gaara chimed in, “ _ I  _ won your fight.”

There was a pause, before Fu and Naruto hit the ground,  _ rolling  _ with laughter, and even Temari had to hide a giggle.”

“You guys are the  _ worst,”  _ Kankuro groaned. “I won! Let me have this.”

“We’re very proud of you, Kankuro,” Gaara assured him. “You utilized your strengths very well, and created a successful strategy despite knowing next to nothing about your opponent.”

“Including his name.”

“Temari, you are not helping.”

Kankuro sighed, dropping an arm around Gaara’s shoulders. “You guys are lucky I love you.”

Gaara reached up, patting the hand on his shoulder. “Likewise.”

  
  
  
  


Sakura watched Sasuke pace back and forth by the railing keeping them out of the arena, shooting glances down below every few seconds. 

“Glaring at it won’t make it clear up faster,” she told her teammate. “Keep pacing, though. I think you’re starting to make an air current, and that could blow the mist away.”

Sasuke turned his glare to her, clearly unamused with her joke.

“Yeesh,” she huffed out, hopping up to sit on the railing. “You’re too serious! I bet you can kick this guy’s butt, no sweat.”

“I have to,” Sasuke said, immediately. “If I do, I fight Naruto next round.”

“Nah, I don’t think you do.”

Sasuke straightened, looking outraged. “What?”

Sakura kicked her legs, waving one hand through the air, muscles in the other arm flexing rather intimidatingly as she used the single hand still on the rail to keep her from falling off the edge. “There’s nine first round matches. If they paired up the winners in order, whoever wins the last fight wouldn’t have an opponent.”

“But-...”

“ _ But,”  _ Sakura continued, ignoring his interruption, “Gaara will probably win the last fight, just like Naruto will win his, and Fu already won hers. So they’re probably gonna get put in a fight that’s all three of them against each other.” 

Sasuke frowned. “But then…?”

“You have to win two fights,” Sakura told him, taking pity - she was the only one in her team who ever thought ahead, honestly. “And so does Naruto.”

“And then we’ll fight?”

Sakura rolled her eyes. “You’re hopeless. If you  _ both  _ win two fights, you’ll make it to round three together. You’ll have a 1-in-3 chance of being matched up. But Naruto would have to beat  _ two  _ other jinchuuriki, and you don’t even know who you’ll be fighting.”

Sasuke looked  _ crushed _ , and she bit down on her lip to keep from laughing. 

“I’m sure Naruto will fight you anytime you want,” she said.

“It’s not-...” Sasuke started, then huffed, struggling to find the words. “He won’t take it  _ seriously.  _ He won’t fight all-out, not like he does with Gaara and Fu. I’ll never know how I measure up to him if he won’t fight like he means it.”

Sakura felt a pang of empathy for her friend, and a slight guilt at having taken his upset reaction at face value. “Sasuke,” Sakura said. “Think about how Naruto reacted in the woods, when that kid screamed. Whatever happened to him when he was a kid, his greatest fear is people being afraid of him. You’re not scared of him at all, but he doesn’t  _ know  _ that. He never understands that people trust him. He’s not going to hold back in a fight with you out of pity, or because he doesn’t think you’re strong enough - he’d hold back because he’d rather you kicked his ass in under a minute than see you get even  _ close _ to being hurt by him.”

“I just don’t get  _ why.  _ Who hurt him?” Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands in frustration. “You didn’t see him, when I went to pull him out of his headspace. He looked…” Sasuke’s voice cracked, and dropped to a whisper. “He sees himself as some kind of monster. I don’t know who did what to him when he was a kid, but I want to kill them for that. He has no idea what he means to us - to everybody. He watches us like he’s waiting for us to...I don’t know, come our senses, maybe. I hate that I can’t do anything about it.” He looked at Sakura, face grim set. “ _ That’s  _ why I want to fight him, Sakura. I want him to see that he doesn’t have to protect us: we can handle ourselves, and above all else, we trust him completely.”

Sakura smiled, somewhat sadly, because she understood that completely. She felt the same way.

Still….   
“Maybe a fight isn’t the answer,” Sakura said. “Naruto knows he’s strong, and he knows people want to be better than him. Maybe what he needs is to realize some people are there to  _ support _ him, instead. That we don’t want to pass him - we want to grow  _ with  _ him.”

Genma’s voice from the arena called out for the fight to start, and Sakura nudged her teammate. 

“We’ll talk about it later,” she promised. “Go kick that guy’s butt.”

  
  
  
  


Kabuto had no intention of winning his fight against Sasuke. 

Orochimaru had instructed him to lose, and so he would. It was that simple. 

But he was told to  _ barely _ lose, and he was going to have some fun getting there. 

According to Orochimaru, Sasuke was a swordsman as well as a skilled Sharingan user, and that combination made him a fairly difficult opponent to counter. 

Difficult, but not impossible. An important distinction. 

Kabuto’s instructions were to make that clear. Sasuke needed to come away from their fight shaken, convinced he’d won only through dumb luck and the slimmest chance. 

“Three, two, one,” Genma counted down. “Begin.”

Sasuke made the first move the same instant the sound of Genma’s signal finished, throwing an arc of kunai through the air toward Kabuto. 

A move to gauge his reaction time, likely. Kabuto was impressed with the forethought - he'd expected overconfidence, but clearly Sasuke knew only fighting with people he’d been fighting for years had left him with a pretty substantial weakness against unknown enemies. He wasn't trained to adapt, and he knew it. 

Kabuto, though, had trained in an even better tactic: the ability to act. He could have an opponent convinced they had his measure, only to turn around and be blindsided by a hidden ace. 

He dodged the kunai, but kept his footwork uneven and clumsy, and made sure to throw his responding senbon with a heavy hand, making them arc wide and pass near Sasuke’s head instead of his chest. 

Sasuke’s sword finally made an appearance, cutting through the air fluidly to knock the senbon away. 

Kabuto knew the kid could have dodged, which meant he was just showing off. 

_ He’s proud,  _ Kabuto observed.  _ That makes this easier.  _

As Sasuke leaned into a charge, sword grasped tight in hand, Kabuto prepared himself for the next move. 

_ I don't know what Orochimaru wants with this kid,  _ Kabuto thought.  _ But whatever it is, he’ll fall right into it. No doubt about that.  _

  
  
  
  
  


This kid was a joke. 

Sasuke hadn't really expected much: Fu wasn't very well liked by most of the officials of the village, her ‘adoption’ into the leaf village shinobi only just barely redeeming her wild and hectic nature and outsider’s status. The chances she was given a genuinely qualified guard were slim. 

Sai had some talent, it seemed, but Sasuke wasn't really sure Hinata was a good opponent to use as reference. She was so hesitant in every move she made, beating her was probably more about speed than anything.

This kid, though. Kabuto was almost comically outclassed. Every move he made was hesitant and sloppy, executed with only just enough grace to get by. 

Sasuke brought his sword in a wide arc, telling himself he’d stop just a hair’s breadth from Kabuto’s neck to make his win obvious without actually landing a blow. 

Kabuto blocked it, though, in a dramatic turn from the flailing he’d been doing. Hearing the clash of blades as Kabuto’s kunai held back his sword was almost startling, it was so unexpected, and Sasuke scolded himself for letting his guard down so much.

He flicked his eyes up to Kabuto’s, trying to get a gauge of the other kid’s confidence - maybe Sasuke could get him to retreat - but froze at what he saw.

_ That look.  _ _   
_ Sasuke had seen that same look in the eyes of almost every person he’d ever spoken to.

When he talked too loud, or too long. When he said too much. When he moved too fast.

When the name ‘Naruto’ passed his lips one too many times. When he wore himself out trying to claw his way out of his brother’s broad shadow. When he failed, time and time again, to make himself stand out as an individual instead of an Uchiha. 

That look was clear as day to him, and it never stung any less.

_ He’s laughing at me. _

  
  
  
  


Kabuto could feel the same second Sasuke called his bluff and got serious, because the blade against his suddenly pressed much harder, and then turned, shoving off and coming around again at a sharper angle.

There was too much speed in that move, too much force. It wasn’t a move easily stopped if it got too close.   
Sasuke expected him to block it, which meant he knew he  _ could.  _

_ Either that,  _ Kabuto thought,  _ or he actually wants to hit me. _

He blocked the blade again, and caught Sasuke’s eyes, only to look away quickly to avoid getting ensnared by the wildly spinning Sharingan active in them. 

_ He’s pissed,  _ Kabuto thought, bewildered at the sudden shift.  _ What changed? _

Sasuke’s sword barely hesitated for a moment before it was pulling back and coming down again, and again, and again - mere fractions of a second in between each loud clang of metal on metal. 

_ I need to end this. _

Kabuto blocked the next hit from a lower point on the sword’s blade, and pushed back, forcing Sasuke to skid back a few centimeters - just enough for Kabuto to be able to back up, getting some space between them. 

Sasuke raised his sword, face pinched in inexplicable fury, and Kabuto moved quickly. He didn’t have time to waste; if Sasuke was getting serious, so would he. 

It was simple enough to flick his kunai around, running the palm of his hand over the flat edge of the blade, letting it split open the skin. 

_ Here’s hoping she remembers the plan,  _ Kabuto thought, before slamming his bloodied palm into the dirt for his summoning jutsu.

  
  
  


One second, Sasuke was charging at Kabuto, barely any thought in mind beyond the red tint to his vision, and the next he was staring into the eyes of a giant snake.

Stumbling back a few steps, Sasuke flicked his chakra, just to make sure it wasn’t some weird genjutsu he’d stumbled into. 

It wasn’t. The snake was  _ real,  _ and slowly eyeing him up and down. 

“You’re not one of mine,” it hissed. “Who are you after?” It reared back, looking behind itself. “Ah,  _ Kabuto _ . I’m no one’s petty summons, boy. What do you want?”

“Just attack, you dumb snake!” Kabuto snapped at his summons. 

The snake tipped its head to the side, eyes squinting slightly. “What was that? I am a master summons, boy, not someone you call for a milk run.” The snake’s tailed snapped, and then arced wide, sweeping Kabuto up from the side and flinging him into the wall. “Impudent boy!”

Kabuto hit the wall hard, sliding down it, and the snake turned sharp red eyes back to Sasuke.    
“Consider yourself lucky, child,” it said. “I’d eat you just because, but I don’t want to give  _ him _ the satisfaction.”

WIth that, the snake vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving Sasuke standing on shaking knees.

Kabuto was dealt with, betrayed by his own summons, and Sasuke was the victor.

It didn’t feel like a win, though.

It felt like a  _ failure _ .

  
  
  
  


From his space against the wall, feigning injury, Kabuto fought a smirk.

_ Just as we planned,  _ he thought to himself.  _ Orochimaru will be pleased. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the plot, skateboarding in with a slurpee: sup bitches, miss me?


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shikamaru hates this village and everyone in it, and Sakura is tired of being the Mom Friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;) ;) ;) this is the first part of a double upload, so standby, kids ;) ;) ;)

“Shikamaru vs Naruto,” Genma called out. “Get down here, brats.”

“Go get him, Shikamaru!” Choji encouraged. “You’re our team’s last hope for barbeque.”

“Give it up, Choji,” Shikamaru told him. “If I go in trying to win, you’re going to be bringing me food in the hospital.”

“I’m okay with it.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and started down toward the arena. “Yeah, I kinda figured that.”

  
  
  


“Good luck!” Sakura told Naruto, smiling bright. 

Naruto caught her eye, and she gave a subtle nod - she’d noticed Sasuke’s silence, too, then. 

Naruto knew he could trust her to keep an eye on their friend, and see what was wrong. Hopefully it was nothing. Maybe they’d get lucky and he was just pouting about how little he actually got to show off in his fight. 

Sakura had told Naruto she’d told Sasuke they probably wouldn’t fight, too, so maybe that had something to do with it.

If Sasuke wanted to spar that bad, Naruto would just challenge him to a fight some other time. Preferably at something they were  _ both  _ bad at, so it would be equally humiliating on each of their parts. 

Maybe he’d drag Sasuke through one of Fu and Gaara’s obstacle courses. One the Uchiha hadn’t designed, of course, which would make them most likely even  _ more  _ ridiculous. Sasuke’s creations at least had solid, tangible paths to complete them with. Fu preferred to build hers to be impossible to pass through completely and then tell you to ‘wing it’ until you made your own way out. 

The time to consider a fight with Sasuke was later, though: for now, Naruto had to focus on Shikamaru.

Likely not  _ hard,  _ because Shikamaru probably wasn’t going to put much effort in willingly, but still. He should at least  _ act  _ like the fight was going to be real. 

Not wasting any time with the stairs, Naruto leaped over the railing, dropping down to the ground at the edge of the arena with a cheer. 

“Here I come!” he called out. “The one you were all waiting on, right?!”

“We’re thrilled,” Genma said, flatly, as Naruto stopped in front of him. “I’m sure that this match was the one everyone was most excited for, and not any of the other jinchuuriki matches. Including the one where you jinchuuriki are pitted against each other.”

Naruto gave him a thumbs up. “That’s right! There’s no need to get excited about who the strongest jinchuuriki is! It’s me, of course. I have the strongest bijuu and everything!”

_ Damn right,  _ Kurama added from the back of Naruto’s mind.  _ Oh, you should hear the others yelling right now. It’s golden, pup, it really is.  _

_ I bet,  _ Naruto thought back.  _ That’s why I said it! _

Shikamaru finally reached them, then, walking casually up to stand across from Naruto with his hands in his pockets.

“Let’s get this over with,” he said. “You’re gonna smear me into the dirt if I try and forfeit, aren’t you?”

“Yep!”

“Thought so,” Shikamaru sighed. “Man, what a pain.” 

“Three, two, one,” Genma counted out. “Go.”

Shikamaru pulled his hands out of his pockets, bringing his fingers up into his shadow jutsu handsign, and Naruto quickly backed far away to get out of the way. 

The shadow at Shikamaru’s feet stretched out, reaching for Naruto, stopping only when Naruto’s back was at the wall.

_ Okay,  _ Naruto thought, looking at the space between his feet and the shadow’s edge.  _ From the center of the arena, that’s how far his shadow can go. So if I stay at least that far away, and stick to the edge, I’ll be fine. _

A good theory, except that pretty much all of his fighting tactics were meant to be close-range. 

_ Crap.  _

Maybe…

Naruto brought his hands into an old, familiar sign, bringing up his forever favorite jutsu. A moment later, the edge of the arena was filled with dozens of copies of himself, all standing just outside Shikamaru’s range. 

“Alright!” they all called, as one voice. “Now you don’t know which one to tie down!”

With that in mind, every Naruto charged the center, rushing to attack the single Shikamaru.

Shikamaru swore, and quickly set his shadow out, catching it at the feet of the first Naruto clone to get close to him. 

He moved as fast as he could, miming grabbing a kunai and stabbing his own gut with it, watching as the clone popped out of existence. 

_ Okay,  _ he thought.  _ I just have to do that….thirty or so times. _

He dodged the punch of another clone, and popped it by simply throwing a punch hard into it. 

_ Dammit,  _ he thought.  _ This is such a pain. _

He weaved through the handsigns for an earth jutsu, and slammed his knuckles into the ground, raising up a sphere of dirt around himself that hardened. Stealing Tenten’s tactics was probably cheap, but he really just needed enough time to think of a plan that would get him out of this with minimal effort or damage. 

_ How do I get rid of all of them? _

An idea occurred to him, then, and he felt stupid for not thinking of it faster. 

The second Naruto’s clones broke through his sphere, he moved, darting around to the edge of the crowd and hooking his shadow through one the many around him. From there, he pulled out a kunai from his own pouch, letting the Naruto clone mimic him. Now effectively in command of two blades, he turned and walked the clone until they were back to back, so that he had his own guard.

The other Naruto clones kept charging him, but Shikamaru used his stolen clone guard well, popping each one as it came through. Each time another burst, another fell in, throwing out a hit of its own. 

The saving grace for the attack was that there were  _ too  _ many: Naruto was getting in his own way. Only so many clones could reach him at once, and the others were just taking up space.

Luckily, Shikamaru was doing a pretty good job of cutting them down. 

Soon, he was standing back to back with one of the few Naruto clones left, and he realized there were few enough he could probably finish them off alone.

_ I might actually do okay,  _ Shikamaru thought. 

That must have jinxed it.

Naruto slammed his hands together, and every remaining clone popped. Shikamaru shot his shadow out quickly, catching Naruto’s, and went to raise the kunai he still held to his neck…

...Only to freeze, watching as Naruto’s eyes turned to red-slitted ones as bright chakra bled into the air around him. 

_ Shit,  _ Shikamaru thought, as the chakra flickered like fire.  _ What is he doing? Can he hurt me without moving? _

Shikamaru moved a bit faster, bringing the blade up against his skin, aiming for a victory before Naruto could do anything, but Naruto didn’t move with him.

_ What the…? _

_..Oh. _

The chakra cloak Naruto had created around himself was mimicking fire, and fire was a source of light.

No source of light could cast a shadow.

Naruto’s shadow was  _ gone,  _ and Shikamaru’s control of him was gone with it.

Shikamaru slumped, exhausted. “Okay, I’m beat. Am I allowed to quit now?”

“Yeah, sure,” Naruto allowed. “I just wanted to do something cool!”

_ He certainly did,  _ Shikamaru thought, as he threw up his hand and called out his forfeit to Genma.

Honestly, every kid that lived in Naruto’s little beast house was a menace. Shikamaru pitied whoever got stuck with them in the future. 

  
  


_ Naruto didn’t even have to try,  _ Sasuke thought, watching the fight resolve in the arena.  _ Why couldn’t I have had that strength? I thought I was miles ahead of that kid.  _

“It doesn’t make any sense,” he muttered to himself. “I should’ve kicked that kid’s ass.”

“You got mad.”

Sasuke startled, spinning around to see Sakura watching him, amused. 

_ She’s laughing, too,  _ something in Sasuke’s head whispered, and he tried to tune it out.

“I saw you,” she said. “You were fighting like you do when something gets to you. He made you angry, didn’t he?”

Sasuke looked away.

“Yeah,” she said. “That’s what I thought. What’d he do?” 

Silence.   
Sakura sighed, leaning against the wall next to him. “Listen, Sasuke. You let things get to you way too easily. Whatever he said or did, you should have let it go.”

“I don’t need a lecture,” Sasuke told her.

“Yes, you  _ do _ ,” she countered. “I told you earlier, didn’t I? You don’t give yourself enough credit.” She nudged his shoulder with her own. “Naruto won his fight easy because Shikamaru didn’t even want to try. You won your fight, which is  _ impressive,  _ because you’re not used to fighting people whose styles you don’t know inside and out. So what if he screwed himself over? You not taking him down alone doesn’t mean you’re not strong enough to. It just means he was too dumb for you to have to.” 

“But-...”

“ _ But  _ nothing,” Sakura said. “You’re too hard on yourself. I’m telling you right now, if we get through these exams without any of us being matched off against each other, come find me when they’re done.  _ I’m  _ gonna kick your butt, Uchiha, and you can count how many seconds it takes me to lay you flat and use those to judge how good of a ninja you are, because my fights don’t last very long.”

“You’re going to  _ eat  _ that, Haruno,” Sasuke shot back. “I will destroy you.”

Sakura grinned, because that meant Sasuke had taken the challenge - and, with it, the bait. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” 

“Believe me, you  _ will.”  _

  
  


“It’s your turn, next, isn’t it?” Tenten asked, from where she was working on treating Neji’s shoulder. “Lee?”

“Yes, it is!” Lee said. “I fight Gaara-san as the last of the first round matches. I am very much looking forward to it.”

“Do you think he will fight you outright?” Neji asked, unable to help his curiosity. “You seemed unsure, before.”

“I have asked Gaara-san to fight me outright and at full strength,” Lee said. “I will trust in him to deliver on his promise. He strikes me as an honest person.”

“You’re biased,” Tenten cooed to him. “You think he’s cute.”

Lee flushed. “I-! I am not speaking out of personal interest! Gaara-san is a forthright and genuine person, from what I have both seen and heard. It is not biased for me to think he would not lie to make me feel better! Even if it is, I will be biased happily. You two do not put enough faith in other people.”

“Very true,” Tenten said. “And that’s saved me, at least. Those traps on my scrolls sure came in handy.”

“I believe,” Neji admitted, reluctantly, “that I may see his point. If I did not write off others so easily, I would likely not be sitting here, waiting for you to heal my shoul-  _ Ow!” _

Tenten batted her eyelashes at Neji in openly false innocence. “Oh, sorry, did I not warn you I was going to set it? Oh, well. Dislocated limbs are supposedly best as surprises.”

“You are a  _ witch _ ,” Neji wheezed. 

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she told him, cheerfully. Looking to Lee, she called, “You should get to the arena. Prince Charming has to sweep you off your feet. With a kick, probably. Do you think he’s more a drop sweep or a scissor sweep person?”

“Tenten!” 

“What? It’s just a question.”

Neji reached up, putting his hand over Tenten’s mouth. “Go down to the arena, Lee, or she will just keep talking.”

Lee shot him a thumbs up and a look of gratitude before darting off down the stairs.

  
  
  


Across the way on their little observation deck balcony, Naruto pulled Gaara aside to speak to him privately. 

“I’ll keep an eye on you, okay?” Naruto said. “You’ll be fine, I promise. You’re a lot better with control than you give yourself credit for! You won’t screw up. It’ll all be okay.”

“Please don’t jinx me,” Gaara said, weakly. 

“If you’re joking, we’re okay, I think,” Naruto declared. “Go, then! Head down there and fight the boy. Oh, and try not to be super distracted by your big dumb crush on him.” Naruto shoved Gaara toward the stairs encouragingly. “Go on!”

If Gaara didn’t kill either himself or Lee in this fight, he was going to come back upstairs and kill Naruto. Or maybe he’d do all three, just for safety. 

Maybe he’d just set the arena on fire.

Anything was possible. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get hype you guys, next is the gaalee match! everyone hold onto your hearts


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gaara vs Lee, and literally nothing else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY GUYS UH,,, content warning bc this chapter finally explores Gaara's trauma   
> because, while far more stealth than Naruto's Big Trauma, Gaara ALSO has ptsd and was kind of not healthy before that, either

Gaara’s heart was pounding. 

The trip down to the arena floor felt like a dream - or a nightmare, horrible and inescapable. Each step echoed in his ears, and in the midst of the sounds he heard the whispers of a voice he’d buried long ago. 

_ Blood,  _ it called, soft and crooning.  _ Bring it back, paint it red.  _

_ Shut up,  _ he thought to it, crying out within his own mind.  _ I’m not ruled by you any more! Naruto saved me from you! _

It churned his stomach, to finally have a long-held fear confirmed: that the voice had not entirely been Shukaku’s at all. That, somewhere along the line, his own mind had accepted it as a guide and clung to it as his anchor to reality. 

The kills he’d made, once upon a time, had kept Shukaku at bay. Gaara had associated that peace with blood and death, and craved it.

Naruto had shown him another way to achieve peace. He’d shown that it was possible to be stronger than Shukaku on his own, not simply a slave to the bloodlust.

He’d fought hard for peace, every day of his life. When Shukaku was gone, the emptiness left behind had been a constant reminder that the fear was no longer necessary. When they came back, Gaara befriended Shukaku and healed the parts of him that were fraying, and he could now count on the bijuu to keep him safe without worry of takeover.

He’d thought that would mean the death of the part of him that screamed for peace by force, but it turned out that he’d simply been staving it off. 

The madness was still there. Trauma and circumstance had squashed it down, but Gaara would never really be free of it.

He wondered if it was anything like Naruto felt, when the moon was high or fear was visible in someone’s eyes. That little itch that said  _ you’re still broken, and there’s nothing you can do about it.  _

Maybe he was thinking about it too much. Maybe it was just echoes of his past, reminding him how poorly the first version of this fight had gone.

As he came to a stop in the center of the arena, he could almost  _ taste  _ the blood that had filled the air when his sand had clenched down around his limbs. He could almost hear the scream that Lee had let out, or the deafening silence that had followed it as the arena sat in shock. 

Gaara looked up, letting his vision land on Lee, and tried not to notice the phantom image of an unconscious version of the taijutsu expert standing behind him, poised to fight even when a hair away from death. 

_ I failed, Naruto,  _ Gaara’s heart cried out, joining in the blood rushing in his ears to drown out everything.  _ I am strong, but not strong enough for this. _

_ Kid,  _ Shukaku called to him, just barely catching his attention over his own blind panic.  _ You’re not gonna hurt him. I’ll make you a deal - you go all out, like you promised. If you go too far, I’ll protect him with your sand shield. You have my word on that. _

Gaara inhaled sharply, because...that would  _ work.  _ Gaara had never broken his own sandshield, in years of trying to outrun it. He hadn’t the speed or strength necessary to push through. 

He’d never fought his own bijuu, it just wasn’t possible. Shukaku on his own was on the same level as him or Naruto _ ,  _ and knew every move Gaara made. More than that, he was in his head - Shukaku would know Gaara’s plan the same second he knew it himself. 

_ Promise me!  _ He called to the bijuu, frantic and desperate.  _ Promise me you’ll stop me! _

_ I swear,  _ Shukaku said.  _ On you, on the Sage, and on my strength as a tailed beast. If it comes down to it, I’ll do what I have to. Even if I have to knock you out to do it. _

Gaara’s knees buckled, and he had to stumble to remain standing.

_ Thank you,  _ he thought, with the soft tone of a prayer.  _ Thank you.  _

“Gaara-san!” Lee called to him, catching Gaara’s attention and pulling it back to the real world. “Are you alright? You are stumbling.”

Words were hard to find, and Gaara’s tongue felt heavy trying to respond, but he forced a reply out anyway. “I’m fine,” he said, his voice weak. “I was just settling something.” He shifted, planting his feet a bit more firmly on the ground and forcing himself to stand upright properly, holding his balance. “I’m ready.”

It was only half a lie, with Shukaku’s promise, but it still tasted bitter in his mouth. 

“Three,” Genma began to count.

Gaara uncorked the sand gourd on his hip. 

“Two.”

Lee shifted into a battle stance, and the phantom image slowly bled back into the real version. 

“One.” 

From the balcony, and the stands, all those who would be watching the fight held their breath. 

“Go.”

Lee ran straight ahead, just like he’d done once in another life. 

The first time, Gaara had stayed still, letting Lee wear himself out against his sand shield.

Now, though, he was another person, and had a fighting style of his own instead of relying on a jinchuuriki’s defenses. 

He let Lee get to just in front of him, and let him throw a punch, before dropping to the ground. Bending backward to let the punch sail over him was an easy enough move, with the amount of practice he had with it - it his way of dodging Naruto’s brash and straightforward attacks, since he couldn’t follow Fu’s example and just fly over them. 

The second his hand touched down, supporting his weight to hold himself mere inches from the ground, he lifted his feet and spun around, kicking out toward Lee.

Lee jumped over his kick, dodging it easily, which was about what Gaara had expected. Taijutsu would never be Gaara’s strength, even with all his training with Fu. Most of his knowledge of physical fighting was defensive: flexibility and speed, moves designed to get him far enough away from his opponent to use ninjutsu instead. 

Using the momentum from his kick, Gaara shifted his weight on his hand to throw himself up, doing a backflip to land safely on the ground a few feet away. From there, he hopped back quickly, trying to give himself space.

He needed a jutsu that was effective at stopping an enemy without actual damage, and his repertoire for those was limited. 

He called up his sand, forming small balls of it in the air, and launched them out in a line. Each one struck the ground a bit, one in front of the other, forcing Lee to keep retreating until there was a sizable distance between the two of them. 

Gaara shifted a foot, dragging it out in an arc to spread out some of the sand under him, before using his chakra to lift it and suspend it in the air.

The resulting cloud was not a perfect obstruction of vision, leaving his position still clearly visible, but would make it hard to track his movements. 

Something he’d need, if he was going to stay evenly matched with Lee, who was far too fast for Gaara to keep tabs on. 

He watched through his protective cloud as Lee shifted, leaning toward his position, before launching off again.

It would come down to evasive maneuvers for Gaara again, it seemed.

At least he had a few more of them, this time.

  
  


“Wow,” Fu muttered, watching Lee dart about the arena, popping up periodically to throw a punch or kick into Gaara’s sand, dragging them out into a progressively larger arc. “He’s good. Is he trying to find Gaara’s limit?”

“Probably,” Naruto said, trying to remember how the first fight had gone. Most of the details he’d forgotten in favor of the brutal end, but he was pretty sure this was the same: Lee sending lightning-fast moves into Gaara’s sand shield, which just barely managed to keep up. 

He was faster, though, this time, and Naruto tried to place why - only to remember the heavy weights Lee had thrown off his legs in the first match.

“Oh!” Naruto realized, feeling silly for not thinking of it sooner. “Lee came to this match prepared. He’s already taken off his training weights. See? His leg-warmers are all bunched up around his ankles. He’s taking this seriously from the start.”

“Training weights?”

Naruto winked at her. “Don’t let them fool you. He wears weights that are heavier than we are. Put together. Probably on their own, let alone as a set. He’s pretty...excessive.”

“Huh,” she breathed, looking down at them. “So Gaara is just going to keep blocking?”

“Until he can get a clear shot to hit back, yeah, probably.”

“Lame,” Fu said. Leaning onto the railing, she cried out, “Hit him back, you dummy!”

Naruto laughed as Sakura appeared to snatch Fu back off the rail by her shirt, scolding her for interfering, but Gaara must have heard. As they watched, he hopped back again, giving himself space, before starting another round of handsigns for some jutsu. 

“Finally!” Fu sighed. “Some action.”

Naruto laughed - if Gaara was going for what he thought he was, Fu was going to regret asking him to do anything. 

  
  


_ This is a coward’s jutsu. _

_ Shut up, Shukaku,  _ Gaara thought back to his bijuu, slamming his hands into the ground, calling the sand to move with the dirt beneath him. 

“Sand Spire,” he muttered, letting his tower build itself beneath him, lifting him up and away from the ground. Its sides compacted tightly, forming a grain so fine it was almost perfectly smooth. From his perch on top of it, Gaara called up a water jutsu, preparing a stream to shoot the second Lee started to try and climb.

_ Is he going to just run away?  _ Lee wondered. Immediately, he tried to climb up the tower, dodging water streams and fluctuating his chakra as he tried his best to scale the side. After enough failures sent him dropping back to the ground, though, he changed tactics, instead punching out at the base of the tower, trying to bring it down.

Three, four, five punches did nothing, so Lee rounded a hard kick to one side, feeling relieved when his leg cut through. 

Unbalanced, the sand spire tipped sideways, and Lee had to flee to avoid being crushed under its weight. 

Gaara’s sand moved fast, forming a bubble around him that slid down the collapsing sand, before unfurling on the other end of the arena. 

Lee expected him to start another evasive tactic, honestly, and was surprised when instead, he charged straight ahead. 

Lee had a split second to bring his arms up in a defensive position before Gaara was in front of him, throwing a punch of his own.

Gaara was not particularly strong, Lee could tell from the somewhat light-handed hits he was throwing. He was, however, very fast - as fast as Lee, definitely - and  _ relentless,  _ landing four or five hits to every one Lee managed to return. 

It didn’t help that if Lee went even slightly off with his hits, just a bit too high or too far to one side, Gaara could just bend out of the way, a sort of fluid flexibility and grace in each movement. 

They went back and forth for countless blows, and Lee poured as much of his strength into each hit as he could. Throwing half-hearted moves out did not help him - in order to hit Gaara even once, he needed to throw several hits at full strength. 

He was getting tired, fast, and he was getting wilder in his movements. Sloppy. 

The fight was tiring. When it was over, regardless of outcome, Lee was going to need to lie down for a while. 

 

Around the same point he had that thought, Gaara noticed the same thing.

_ He’s exhausted,  _ Gaara thought, looking into Lee’s eyes.  _ All the chakra he’s using has worn him out. He looks almost… _

...Dead.

The arena was gone, vanished in the space between seconds, and Gaara stared down into the blank eyes of one of Kaguya’s puppets, staring at him with Rock Lee’s face. 

_ No,  _ he thought, feeling the air vanish from his lungs.  _ Not him. She couldn’t have gotten him...could she? _

Lee hadn’t been among Naruto’s recues. He, along with most of the other Konoha nin, had been left in the pods, locked in eternal dreams.

It wasn’t unfeasible that Lee’s chakra would have drained enough for her to take him over, drawing him out on strings, forcing Gaara to fight a body that looked like a friend who was really long dead. 

_ The control seal,  _ he thought to himself.  _ Pull it off Lee’s heart. Without her tether, White Zetsu will lose control of him. He’ll be able to rest. _

He was so tired.

When had he gotten so  _ tired?  _

He didn’t remember the battle at all, up to that point. How many of Zetsu’s human puppets had he killed, to make it to this one? Where was Naruto? Was he alone?

_ Why is there only one?  _

The air around him was dark and foggy, and he couldn’t tell where he was. His vision blurred when he looked away from the Lee puppet. 

_ Not him, not him, not him,  _ Gaara’s chanted in his mind.  _ You’ll pay for using  _ him _ like this.  _

He had to get the seal off.

He reared back, winding up a fist, coating his hand in a thick layer of sand. He used it to form crystalline points along his knuckles, forming a tool sharp enough to pierce through muscle and bone to get to what he needed.

He closed his eyes when he threw the punch. He didn’t want to see it sink through Lee’s chest - the man inside may have been dead, but the shell was still a friend, and that sight was more than he could stomach.

He felt his hand strike home, and dig in, the tissue swallowing his arm as it went through.

_ The seal,  _ he thought.  _ Where is the seal? _

 

_ GAARA!  _

Gaara’s eyes snapped open at Shukaku’s call. 

“Oh no,” he whispered, blinking quickly as he tried frantically to regain his vision of the arena. “No, no, no.”

He had made that weapon, he knew it. He’d hit something. He’d killed-...

_ Nothing.  _

Gaara’s vision focused back in, letting him take in the view of his arm buried up to the shoulder in sand, a stunned Lee standing a few steps behind it.

_ Withdraw!  _ Gaara screamed at himself.  _ End the match! Quit! You nearly killed him! _

His knees went weak, and then gave, and he slumped heavily against the sand mound, feeling tears start sinking into the grains pressed against his cheek.

_ It’s over,  _ he told himself.  _ Give him the victory. We lost a long time ago. _

He closed his eyes, and waited for Lee to strike him. To knock him unconscious, maybe, and grant him  _ rest.  _

Footsteps sounded, and he heard Lee move, hands coming up, likely winding up a punch-...

“I withdraw!”

Gaara’s eyes snapped open, and he looked up to Lee, incredulous.

The boy was not looking at him, but at Genma, his face hard set. 

_ Is he afraid?  _

_ No… this is different. _

Lee looked  _ determined.  _

_ Lee...What are you doing? _

  
  
  


From Lee’s perspective, he’d seen..interesting things, at the end of the match.

One second, Gaara was tipping his head sideways, looking at him curiously, and the next…   
The next his face went slack, his eyes glazed over, and his eyes changed colors. 

_ The bijuu must have taken over,  _ Lee’d thought, and he’d braced for a more deadly attack.

Instead, Gaara had charged at him, hand raised and heavily armored with sand, a look of sheer rage on his usually blank face. 

Lee had been frightened, for the briefest second, that the demon was in control and trying to genuinely kill him.  

The same second that fear had occurred to him, through, a thick wall of sand had sprung up before him, and he’d watched Gaara run himself full-force into it. 

When Gaara had looked up, his face had been his own again, but he seemed haunted. Lee thought he caught the glimmer of tears in the split second he’d been able to see the jinchuuriki’s face, before he buried it into the sand.

Lee wasn’t sure what had happened, but he knew the fight was over.

Maybe the sand demon had taken over, and Gaara had gotten enough control to stop it. Regardless, it was clear the redhead wasn’t going to keep fighting - and so, neither would Lee.

“Had Gaara-san not stopped, I would have lost!” Lee proclaimed. “As such, I accept that I have been bested in this match, and concede victory to the one proven strongest! I will try for victory again at another time, when I have had more training!”

“Lee,” Gaara rasped, and Lee looked down to him, stunned.

Gaara looked  _ distraught.  _

“Do not worry, Gaara-san,” Lee told him. “I will train very hard, and we shall fight again at some point in the future! Hopefully, then, I will be able to face you more evenly.”

“Final match of round one, finished,” Genma announced. “Winner, Gaara.” 

The sand wall holding Gaara up slowly crumbled to the ground, and Gaara dropped with it, hitting his knees. 

“Gaara!” Naruto’s voice called out from the observation balcony, and within seconds he and Fu were sprinting by Lee to get to their friend. 

Lee stepped out of their way, and told himself that as soon as he could, he would learn what had happened there. 

If Gaara did not want him to know, that was okay, but Lee wanted to make sure that he never knowingly let it happen again. 

Anything that made Gaara’s calm aura shatter into such open grief was something to be avoided, at any cost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dont worry guys i will make this pain up to you in the future


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of reactions and a brief interlude of Sakura v Neji

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> turns out if you have a panic attack and dissociate in the middle of an arena, the people watching get REALLY confused

“What the  _ fuck  _ just happened?” Temari yelled, leaning over the railing as she tried to get a better look at the arena. “Kankuro, did you see that?”

“Yeah,” her brother replied, grimly. “I did.”

“What  _ was _ that?” She cried. “I’ve never seen him do that before.”

“I don’t know,” Kankuro said. “I haven’t either.”

“He got lost,” Sasuke said, to their side. The Suna ninja looked to him, and he explained, “Naruto does the same thing. He gets lost in his own head. We never figured out  _ why,  _ but it doesn’t really matter. We just have to help him when it happens.” 

“Is it a jinchuuriki thing?” Temari asked. “I thought the Ichibi was friendly with Gaara?”

“Shukaku and Kurama are both nice to their hosts,” Sakura said. “And Fu doesn’t do it, that I’ve seen. Which means it’s something unique to them.”

Temari grimaced, looking down at the distant figure of her youngest brother, watching as Naruto guided him toward the stairs. 

“You mean you guys don’t know, either?”

Temari turned, looking to where Shikamaru stood beside them. All the other genin were there, actually - they must have all crowded in to see what was going on when Gaara freaked out.

“What do you mean?” Temari asked. “Do  _ you  _ know something?”

Shikamaru shrugged. “I had a couple ideas, but they’re really just theories. I was hoping someone would  _ actually  _ know, so they could handle it. Whatever’s up with them, it’s not something you want to just let go.”

“Naruto clams up when we try and talk about it,” Sakura said. “He’ll start cutting up and joking around when he knows we’re worried about him, so we can never get a serious answer.”

“I didn’t even know anything was wrong with Gaara,” Temari said. “Some sister I am.”

“They’re coming,” Sakura warned. “Don’t pressure him, okay?”

“Gaara!” Temari rushed to her brother’s side. “Are you okay?”

Gaara’s face was stone, even blanker than his usual expression. In his typical face, the emotion was subtle - here, it was completely absent. 

“He’ll be okay,” Naruto said. “I’ve got him. We’ll handle it.”

“What-...?”

“Don’t.”

Temari snapped her eyes to Fu, who looked uncharacteristically serious. “What?”

“You don’t want to know what happened,” Fu told her, holding the crowd back as Naruto and Gaara slipped off someplace else. “I promise. Naruto and Gaara didn’t tell you for a reason.”

“So there  _ is  _ something going on?” Sakura asked, approaching behind them. “No one ever tells us anything.”

Fu frowned, shifting her weight between her feet. “Look, it’s not my place to say, okay? You’d have to get them to tell you.” She looked around at all the eyes on her. “Especially since most of you shouldn’t know  _ anything  _ is happening. Naruto’s pretty relaxed, but Gaara’s private. The fact that this many people saw him like that is gonna screw with him pretty bad.”

“It’s a jinchuuriki thing, right?” Shikamaru asked. “Why doesn’t it affect you?”

Fu bristled. “Stop trying to figure it out! They don’t owe you an explanation! They don’t owe you  _ anything!  _ You’ll never know how much those two have done for you. The least you can do is let them have their privacy!”

“We want to  _ help,”  _ Temari insisted. “We can’t do that if we don’t know what’s wrong.”

“You can  _ help  _ by being there for them,” Fu said. “Like you’ve always done. They don’t need the whole village picking their brains. They need people they can trust.”

“But not trust enough to tell us what’s happening?” Sasuke practically spat. 

Fu glared at him. “Don’t talk about trust when you can even trust them to tell you what’s important. I’m telling you, right now, I know what’s wrong.  _ All _ the jinchuuriki know. We’re  _ handling  _ it.”

“Handle it better!” Sasuke yelled at her. “I’m tired of seeing Naruto break down when I don’t know how to help him!”

“Then stop  _ watching!” _

Sasuke recoiled, taking a step back as Fu’s eyes bled into their black bijuu form and her face flushed an angry red. 

“It’s not their job to make  _ you _ feel better about  _ their _ trauma!” she told them. “Telling you what caused it won’t make it go away. Quit acting like they owe you anything, or that it’s an issue of trust, or anything like that. You’re  _ selfish.  _ You hate being left out of the loop. You wanna know something, asshole? I know exactly what they saw, exactly what they’ve done to get this way, and I  _ still  _ can’t do a damn thing about it. You being nosy isn’t going to do anything but make it  _ worse.  _ And anyone who hurts my brothers any more than they’ve already been hurt is gonna be  _ sorry,  _ got it?”

“I’m sorry,” Temari interrupted, trying to diffuse the situation. “We’re just frustrated, Fu. We don’t mean to pry.”

Fu narrowed her eyes, still locked on Sasuke, and the Uchiha looked away stubbornly.

She resisted the urge to spit, and tore her eyes away, looking to Temari. “I’m not gonna say it’s okay, ‘cause it’s not,” she said. “But thank you for at least listening to me. I promise, I’m doing everything I can. They’re nothing you can do to help any more than just being there for them when they need you. The second I think that’s changed, I’ll tell you myself. Screw what they want. I’d take them hating me for sharing their secret over losing them completely.”

  
  
  
  
  


In the hall behind the observation deck the genin were all waiting on, Naruto held Gaara close to his chest, teeth gritting together as he listened in on the conversation behind him. 

Most of it was lost to him, but he heard the loudest bits. Fu yelling in their defense, and in the midst of that, a single line from Sasuke.

_ I’m tired of watching Naruto break down.  _

Naruto’s mouth tasted like copper, and he realized he’d had a bit of his cheek caught between his clenched teeth. He released it, and felt the chakra shift as Kurama worked to heal it quickly.

_ Kid, calm down,  _ Kurama told him, oddly soft for the fox’s standards.  _ That kid puts his foot in his mouth every ten minutes. He probably didn’t mean it like that. _

Naruto didn’t bother replying. It didn’t matter what Sasuke  _ meant,  _ what mattered was that he was  _ right.  _ Naruto was hanging on by a thread on his best days, and just going through the motions on bad ones. Gaara held it together a lot better, but the payoff was that he couldn’t come back as easily when he finally did break down. 

They were broken, in a deep, irreparable way. They had no way of explaining that off, either. 

To say anything now would mean admitting that the past few  _ years  _ of their lives had been lies. It would also risk giving up their advantage.

When the exams were over, Naruto decided, they needed to get serious. They needed to start looking into the Akatsuki, checking up on what the members have been up to while they were quiet. They needed to get a firm grasp on Danzo’s operation.

He should probably start pushing Orochimaru in one direction or the other, too.

_ To the end of the exams,  _ he told himself.  _ I’ll give us that far to have this. We can be kids, just for a little while longer. _

He’d have to hope it was enough.

  
  
  
  
  
  


“Sakura and Neji!” Genma called out. “Let’s start round two, kids.”

Neji was in the arena almost immediately, but Sakura took her time. Genma took in the troubled expression on her face, and looked up toward the observation balcony, where her friends we waiting.

_ Something’s weird with these kids,  _ he thought,  _ but I’m not touching it.  _

“Let’s begin, then,” he said. “Three, two-...”   
“Wait!” 

He paused, looking to Sakura, who scrambled in her pockets for a moment. As he watched, she pulled out metal-plated fingerless gloves, pulling them on, and then retrieved a hair tie to pull her wild pink locks back out of her face in a short ponytail. 

“Okay, I’m good,” she said. 

Genma made a mental note to  _ never  _ accept this job again, and continued his count, clearing out of the arena as usual. “One. Go.”

Neji activated his Byakugan, shifting into his defense Eight Trigrams stance, just in time for Sakura to lunge. 

Their movements were fast, but followable: Sakura threw a punch, and Neji struck out with a palm toward her wrist to cut off her chakra. At the last second, though, Sakura uncurled her fist and did a sweeping backhanded gesture, smacking Neji’s palm away with the metal plates of her glove. 

They began a strange dance, with Neji striking out with flat palms and Sakura unfailingly deflecting them. His palms and her knuckle plate filled the air with sounds of their collision, creating a strange effect. It  _ sounded  _ like someone was being beaten pretty badly, but in the center, Sakura and Neji both stood unaffected.

It was a stalemate, then. Sakura could deflect every strike, but could not strike out herself. Similarly, Neji could not land a single hit, but to stop trying would give Sakura an opening. 

Sakura must have realized it, too, because she stepped back once, before shifting into a new attack. She came at Neji with her shoulder forward, as though to ram into him head-on instead of striking with a fist. 

Neji took the opening she was giving him, even if it was likely a trap, striking out to hit her shoulder and cut the chakra flow in it off.

Sakura didn’t even pause.

Coming at him sideways, she threw the dead weight of her shoulder full force against Neji’s side - the same shoulder that had been dislocated in his fight with Choji.

Neji cried out, the still-bruised flesh taking the hit hard, and Sakura didn’t hesitate to strike out, slamming a fist into his collarbone. 

The second her fist connected, she flicked her finger against the inside of her glove, extending the needles hidden in the plate.

Neji stumbled, paralytic taking over his system, and dropped to his knees. 

“First match of round two, goes to Sakura,” Genma announced. 

Neji sat in the dirt, stunned. He had been entirely confident in his abilities before the exams, but he’d lost so easily, and only won the fight before by default.

Maybe his destiny wasn’t so clear-cut after all. 

  
  
  
  


Sakura wasn’t particularly proud of the way she’d won her fight, considering it a bit of a dirty move, but she didn’t have time to waste entertaining Neji’s ego. 

Gaara’s freakout in the arena showed her something she hadn’t considered: that Naruto’s issues may not have been unique to him. 

That implied that something  _ caused  _ them, instead of it just being some mental health issue specific to Naruto’s mind. 

They - her and Sasuke - had entertained the idea that Naruto was traumatized instead of just ill, but neither one had been able to come up with any theory as to  _ what  _ caused it, so they dismissed it as unlikely.

Now, though, it had been all but confirmed.

It  _ had  _ to be a jinchuuriki thing. Fu claimed every jinchuuriki knew about it, but only Gaara and Naruto were affected. Was it something to do with age? Gender? Hell, the amount of tails their bijuu had? Gaara had the one-tail and Naruto had the nine-tails, maybe them being the lowest and highest count was significant?   
Nothing made  _ sense.  _ All she wanted was to help, but Fu’s anger had made her hesitant to risk seeming nosy by trying to find out on her own.

She really had no choice but to let Naruto come to her on his own, as far as she could tell, and that…

That  _ sucked,  _ actually. For someone who talked constantly, Naruto was rather good at not saying anything at all. 

_ After the exams, _ she decided.  _ After the exams, I’m talking to them. I won’t let them suffer alone anymore. _

  
  
  
  


Suzume was going to  _ murder _ someone. 

She didn’t have any real personal concern for Gaara, but she knew he was important to Naruto, and so she was immediately on alert when he started acting oddly.

Naruto’s face, though, when he’d run out into the arena to get his friend…

Whatever, or whoever, put that look on Naruto’s face, was going to  _ bleed  _ for it. 

“Iruka,” she said. “Please tell me you know what is happening here?”

“I don’t,” Iruka sighed. “I’m just as lost as you.” 

“How do we find out?”

Iruka frowned. “I could see if I could get over there to ask? I can’t speak to the contestants until the event is over, but I could see what Kakashi could tell me.”

Suzume shot him an impatient look, as though silently demanding to know why he was still there.

“Okay, okay,” the other teacher said, standing. “I’ll go look into it. Watch my class, please.”

She waved him off. She’d do her job, watching the kids,  _ obviously _ . She just couldn’t stand the idea that something could be wrong with her former student that she knew nothing about. 

She felt bad for the thought, but a part of her couldn’t help wishing that it was a problem exclusively with Gaara. She would never wish suffering on a child, never in a million years, but she’d rather see anyone hurting than Naruto. The kid had suffered enough, in his early years, and everything he’d gotten since then was hard-won. 

If someone had done to Naruto what someone had clearly done to Gaara, there would be hell to pay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter features iruka + kakashi interaction again  
> this time with hopefully less angry ranting


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iruka, Certified Mom Friend™

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i made [a playlist](https://8tracks.com/manicthrifts/forever-and-a-bit-fic-mix) for this fic if you're interested

Knowing Gaara and Naruto’s history (or, at least, the basics of it) was perhaps the worst thing in Kakashi’s life.

When the redhead had started panicking, most of the people watching saw a jinchuuriki losing his grip on reality for a moment.

Kakashi, though, saw the eyes of a soldier on the face of a child, and that never got any less haunting. 

Gaara and Naruto had souls nearly twice the age of their bodies, and none of the years they bore were easy. It was easy to forget, at times, how scarred their hearts were. Kakashi’s mind drifted back, to the memory of the night he found out the truth. He recalled the look in Naruto’s eyes as Gaara recounted the failure of their last battle. 

Even if they had beaten their enemy that day, they had lost much more. Kakashi knew first hand that what seems like a victory on paper could be the worst kind of loss. 

Watching them and remembering that was a bit much for him to stomach, and when eyes started turning his way, prepping to ask him for any explanation, he bailed. 

In hindsight, it'd probably have been better if he stayed. 

“Iruka,” Kakashi greeted, internally cursing as the teacher approached him in the hall. He'd only spoken to the man a handful of times, their most significant interaction being when Naruto first joined his team and Iruka tore into Kakashi for insulting the kid. 

Kakashi had made a couple aborted attempts at apologies, but ultimately just gave up and let the man think he was an asshole. He wasn't necessarily wrong, anyway. 

Seeing him now meant he was probably looking to speak to Naruto, and Kakashi wasn't allowed to let anyone in the room with the competitors. Naruto and Gaara had been standing outside the door when Kakashi left, so maybe they were still available, but Kakashi wasn't really comfortable risking letting Iruka steamroll into the exam area. Neither of Naruto’s former teachers really listened to people telling them they couldn't do something, at least where Naruto was concerned. 

“Kakashi,” Iruka breathed out. “Good, I was looking for you.”

Well, that was ominous. 

“For me?”

Iruka nodded, frown pulling at his lips, and Kakashi really didn't like where this was going. “Do you know what happened in the arena? With Gaara? Naruto looked pretty haggard when he came out to me him, so we were afraid it might be something serious.”

Kakashi stared at the teacher. “He spaced out in a fight and nearly murdered a kid,” he said, blunt as ever. “I’d say that's serious.”

Iruka winced, rubbing the back of his head. “I didn't mean- I just want to make sure they're okay.”

“He does.”

Iruka looked up, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “What?”

“What you really wanted to know was if Naruto does it too, right?” Kakashi asked, tone light and casual - usually a dangerous sign. “Well, he does. He usually locks up, though. Gaara getting violent was pretty surprising, but I'd never actually seen him do that until today, so I didn't know  _ what  _ to expect.”

“What's wrong with them?” Iruka asked. At Kakashi’s quirked eyebrow, he flinched back again. “Not like that! I just mean...What happened? What made that happen out there? Are they okay?”

“Nothing, none of your business, none of your business, and no. Did I get everything?”

Iruka huffed out a breath. “I'm not trying to be rude! I'm frustrated. Naruto was important to me, and still is, even if I don't see him as much as Suzume and I both used to. I can't stand the thought that something has happened and I don't even know about it.”

“They'll tell you when they're ready,” Kakashi said. “Or they won't. That's up to them, not us.”

“Kakashi-sensei,” a voice called, and both men turned to see Naruto and a still-vacant Gaara approaching slowly. “It’s okay. You don't have to get so mad, I promise we’re alright. We knew this was gonna happen eventually.”

“Naruto,” Iruka breathed. “Are you alright?”

“Not really,” Naruto replied without hesitation. “but I'll make it there one day. In the meantime, you’re right: keeping our secrets means we’re pushing you away, and all you wanted is to help. So we’ll tell you.”

“Naruto,” Kakashi started. “You don't have to-...”

“When I was six, I came into your class, into the middle of a sealing test day,” Naruto said. “And I made up a seal for it on the spot. It made everyone take notice of me, and a month later they were passing me up to Suzume-sensei.”

“I remember,” Iruka said. “You somehow made a functioning seal that looked like an idle doodle.”

“Seals are easy,” Naruto told him. “What you didn't know was that the week before, when I spent a few days ditching your class, I made a seal entirely on my own, so that I could bend time.”

Iruka blinked, baffled. “Time?”

“I know the names of every member of the Akatsuki,” Naruto told him. “I know their goals, and I know they will absolutely succeed if we let them. I know every step of their plan. I know Orochimaru is looking for a new body to transfer his soul into, so that he can be immortal. I know the council members who are pulling strings to make shady stuff happen.” Naruto huffed out a laugh. “I know what you look like at almost thirty! I know what names get added to the memorial stone, and when it gets destroyed. I know  _ so much,  _ Iruka-sensei, and it's because I  _ saw it.”  _

“You looked into the future?” Iruka said. 

“I lived it,” Naruto said. “Me and Gaara both. Our bodies here were safe, but our chakra fought years of war trying to save humanity before it became hopeless to even try.”

Iruka looked between the boys. “You’ve...I’m sorry, I’m still not following. You’re saying you’ve...what, lived twice?”

“Pretty much,” Naruto confirmed. “I was about eighteen when I-...well, I guess I died, there. My body did, I’m sure of it. My chakra snapped back to my body at six. Gaara’s, too.”

Iruka let out a breath. “So, the spacing out in the arena?”

“Side effect,” Naruto said. “We’re, uh…”

“They’re about three seconds from a breakdown at any given point,” Kakashi cut in. “Understandable, really.”

“Yeah,” Iruka said, weakly. “I can see why that would be the case.”

Naruto gave a shaky smile. “You don’t even know. It gets a lot worse than the stuff you know about, trust me.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Iruka said. “So, you’re…?”

“Nearly thirty,” Naruto said. “But I don’t know if that counts, since I never actually got to live as an adult. I’ve just been a kid twice. I still think of myself as being around eighteen, honestly, so I’m not  _ that  _ far off from being normal again. Well, as normal as I can get, anyway.”

Iruka looked to Gaara, half expecting to see the vacant stare he’d started with, but instead was shocked to catch him staring at Iruka like he was trying to see into his soul.

When their eyes met, Gaara inclined his head slightly. “You’re the third person we’ve told, in eight years. That’s the hardest part: keeping silent on the things we’ve seen.”

Iruka thought about how certain he’d been that Naruto would never be able to keep a secret, too prone to yelling out what he was thinking without pause. If that wasn’t completely wrong - which it very well could have been, apparently - the kid (young man?) was probably driving himself crazy keeping a lid on all the information in his head. 

Which brought up an interesting thought, actually.

“Suzume was the one who sent me,” Iruka told Naruto. “What do I tell her?”

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. “Eh, you know I called her Crybaby-sensei? I don’t think she needs to know this stuff. Not to mention she’d kick my butt if she knew most of my ‘genius’ stuff in her class was kind of cheating, y’know? I really need to come up with a story for what happened to tell everyone, but I’m terrible at making stuff like that up.” 

“Ah, finally,” Kakashi said. “Something I can help with. I tend to be a very good liar.”

“Uh...not really,” Naruto countered. “Your lies are usually really obvious.”

“Only because I intend them to be!” Kakashi defended. “You need to have a cover for having traumatic flashbacks, and knowing stuff about the Akatsuki. I’ll think on it, and see if I can’t come up with something.”

Naruto shrugged. “Lemme know if you do, I guess. Until then, I’m just gonna...avoid mentioning it. Hopefully they’ll keep leaving it alone. Everyone’s probably way more worried now that they know Gaara has a problem too, but they also listen to him usually when he tells them to ignore something.”

“Because you would tell them to ignore you losing a limb,” Gaara said. “Stop implying that they like me better than you. You’re not subtle, and you’re very much wrong.”

Naruto grinned at his friend. “Good to know you’re feeling better, buddy.”

“I’m really not,” Gaara said. “But I recognize that I’m not helping anything by dwelling on it. I owe Shukaku the world right now, for stopping me.”

Iruka straightened. “Your bijuu? That’s what happened?”

Gaara grimaced. “Shukaku promised to stop me if I went too far, and he did. My sand shield blocked my attack, instead of blocking Lee’s, since I was going with intent to kill. If he hadn’t…”

“But he did,” Naruto interrupted. “You didn’t hurt him. Lee’s fine, and you’re fine, and we can hang Shukaku being a nice guy over his head for like a week.”

Gaara gave a soft, faint smile, and Iruka’s heart went out for him.

Whatever they saw, whatever happened in their other life, it clearly left a mark that wouldn’t ever be wiped out completely.

Now that he knew, at least in part, he wasn’t going to let them fight that battle alone. Whatever it took, he’d be there for him.

Naruto was as good as family to Iruka, and if Suzume were pressed she’d say the same. Letting him suffer silently wasn’t an option for them. It wouldn’t ever be.

Iruka’s influence could only help so much, but he’d give it his best shot. Something told him Naruto would need as many friends as he could get.

  
  
  
  
  


When Iruka headed back to report to Suzume (promising he’d tell her that Kakashi had been absent, and he’d learned nothing), Kakashi left Naruto and Gaara to keep comforting each other in the hall and slipped back into the room full of exam contestants. 

He was met at the door by Shikamaru Nara, of all people, and that was perhaps the most ominous greeting he could have received. 

“It’s not my business,” Shikamaru said, starting off with a strongly suspicious lead-in that had Kakashi’s hair standing on end. “But I figured out something about Naruto and Gaara, and it’s killing me thinking about it. So, I’m gonna spit it out, and then I’ll know I told someone who may or may not have already known and I can finally leave it alone. Okay?” 

Kakashi blinked. “Ah, okay?”

Shikamaru huffed, and then launched into his explanation. “Jinchuuriki have a shared mindspace, right? Where they can talk to each other and their bijuu. And Gaara and Naruto clearly spend a lot of time there, and they’ve always been weirdly close considering how little they saw of each other at first, and they don’t act...normal, as far as their age. So my theory was that time works differently in that world of theirs, and that they’ve spent a good amount of time there. Except that  _ doesn’t  _ explain why they’re so fucked up.”

“I see,” Kakashi said, floored. He wondered if the kid knew he was giving Kakashi a significant advantage in creating his cover story. 

Probably. Shikamaru didn’t seem the type to obsess over someone else’s life story, so him dumping it on Kakashi was probably him trying to give the jounin a chance to bullshit an explanation and send him back to the others to report. Shikamaru was good at roundabout shit like that. 

“So here’s my second theory,” Shikamaru said. “When the Kage summit was called and those jinchuuriki were here, Gaara and Naruto were able to start talking to them immediately. Meaning they probably  _ already knew  _ the other jinchuuriki. And they knew the Akatsuki was after them, too. So...what if there was another jinchuuriki, that they met in their headspace, that spent time there right alongside Naruto and Gaara? And what if the Akatsuki got to them? If Gaara and Naruto had access to a plane inside their mind, and they died, especially if it was violent…”

“You’re a pretty clever kid,” Kakashi said. He reached out, dropping a hand on the top of Shikamaru’s head, giving him a completely genuine smile. “Don’t worry about them. I’ve been keeping an eye out, and nothing is gonna get them or the other jinchuuriki if we can help it.”

Shikamaru sighed. “You didn’t say if I was right or not, so I’m taking that as my cue to drop it and leave it the hell alone. You know Ino’s probably gonna try and drag an explanation out of me, since I talked to you?”

“Sounds like a problem for you,” Kakashi told him. “Good luck with that.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that’s about what I expected.” He waved, heading off to rejoin his classmates. “Good talk,” he called over his shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kakashi waved back, and watched as the other kids immediately swarmed him to beg for information. 

Vultures, the lot of them. Kakashi didn’t envy him.

At least that was one problem well on its way to being solved. Now he just had to figure out how to get the rumor mill to pass that one along.

...Maybe  _ after _ the exams. Something told him he’d have his hands full until then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> naruto: i saw all this stuff happen  
> what he means: im a time traveller who came back in time   
> what iruka hears: i somehow created a Time Warp and saw the future


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Proceed with the exams!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> somebody finally shows his dumb face. What a bad dad smh

Sitting in the tight-sealed room designated for the Kages’ observation of the exams, one of the visitors was absolutely  _ freaking out. _

“What happened?” Rasa demanded, all but pressing his nose to the wall of windows in the front of the room. “Did the Ichibi break loose, there? He didn’t look like himself. I haven’t seen Gaara like that since-...”

All at once, Rasa cut himself off. He hadn’t seen Gaara unhinged since childhood, no, but he hadn’t seen his child  _ at all  _ since then. When he’d assigned his children to stay behind in Konoha, he had done so expecting the Akatsuki to be taken down within a year. 

Two years had gone by before he’d admitted he hadn’t thought it completely through. Three, before he called Yashamaru back to his side to serve as an advisor again, leaving his children alone with their Konoha friends. 

Three years since either of the men had looked into one of the children’s eyes and seen that they were okay for themselves. Three years now that they’d been limited to whatever knowledge the children deemed fit to pass on through their letters. 

He couldn’t say for certain that this wasn’t perfectly normal for Gaara. He could have just stumbled into a problem that’s existed much longer than he was aware of. 

“What’s happened to my children in my absence?” he asked Sarutobi. “Who hurt them?”

“As far as I’m aware, no one,” Sarutobi returned. “But this mirrors reports I’ve had of Naruto’s behavior. Many Anbu who have watched over him have reported that he is prone to bouts of dissociation. If they did not both speak so highly of their bijuu, I would assume that the creatures were trying to take over. As it is, I’m not sure what causes it.”

“You can’t find out?”

Sarutobi gave Rasa a dry look. “Trying to extract information from Naruto Uzumaki is an effort in futility. He was evading S-rank Anbu patrols when he was  _ eight.  _ I could throw the full force of my investigations team at him and I suspect I would somehow come out with less information than I started with. Trust me on this - if there were any way for me to obtain the information with force, I would have it. As it is, we are forced to wait for him to deem it fit to share.” 

“And if that never happens?” Rasa asked.

“Then we never know,” Sarutobi returned. At Rasa’s scowl, the Hokage gave him a sympathetic look. “Don’t worry, my friend. Naruto is rather secretive, but he is more caring than anything else, and he loves your son. If Gaara is even remotely in danger, Naruto would compromise his own privacy in an instant to save him. That much, I can be certain of.”

  
  
  
  
  


“Next match,” Genma called again. “Tenten and Kankuro.”

The resulting outcry from Genma hijacking the match schedule was immediate - Sai and Fu were a match that people had been waiting to watch. 

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes or flip off the audience, and instead began an explanation announcement. “All three jinchuuriki will fight an open match after all other potential matches have been settled, in order to maintain a fair balance in all fights. The winner of the regular exam matches will be put against the winning jinchuuriki.” 

“Wish me luck, guys,” Sakura told her friends. “I'm gonna have to beat Gaara.”

Several incredulous stares turned her way. 

“What?” she asked. “I'm not letting anybody beat me today, and if no way Naruto or Fu are gonna be able to fight serious with what happened earlier.”

“Wow,” Ino said. “You sounded almost like Shikamaru there.”

“Naruto won't lose,” Sasuke put in, sounding almost offended at the implication anything else were true. “He’s stronger than both of them.”

“But they're faster,” Ink countered. “My money's on Fu. Naruto and Gaara will take each other out first.”

“Is this a bet?” Temari asked, leaning into the mix. “Lemme put money on Gaara. He's gonna shred them all.”

“Hey guys,” Kankuro cut in. “Not to interrupt, but you're blocking the stairs, and I have to go fight now.”

“Good luck!” Sakura told him. “Remember that if you win, you probably get to fight me or Sasuke.”

“Joy of joys,” he drawled. “Just what I always wanted. Can’t you guys take pity on me for teaching you in the first place?”

“Nope!” she said, grinning. “Good luck!”

Kankuro sighed as the group moved out of his way, and headed down the stairs to enter the arena.

Well, here went nothing, he supposed. 

  
  
  
  


The arena was a  _ mess.  _

Deep lines carved into the dirt showed the patterns of the fights before them, the ground where Kankuro’s liquid poisons had landed was slightly green, there was ink from Sai’s attacks still in puddles here and there…

Kankuro wondered what mark he and Tenten would leave. It probably wouldn’t even make a difference. Whatever this arena was used for when the exams weren’t in session, they were gonna have a rough time getting it back into shape. 

“I’m glad I get to face you,” Tenten told him, as she walked up to the center of the arena as well. “You’re good with seals, right? It’s rare for me to get to talk to someone else who knows anything about them.”

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Kankuro said. “Most of my sealing is actually Naruto’s work. I’m not really an expert.” 

Tenten shrugged. “Fair enough. Still, this should be fun.”

“Well, if we’re all in agreement,” Genma muttered, before calling out, “Three, two, one. Go.”

Kankuro pulled loose his puppet scrolls in a fluid motion, unsealing Crow alone, since Dragonfly’s wings were still damaged from his fight with Kiba. Not that he  _ couldn’t  _ use it, still, but he wanted to save it for a last resort, lest the poor thing get even more damaged.

Besides, most of the poisons in it were exhausted anyway. He’d gone a bit heavy handed on Kiba, there. 

Beating Kiba had been more about keeping his distance than anything, but Tenten was a ranged fighter too. Not to mention her fight with Ino had shown she was capable of thinking ahead pretty far, and she’d been able to make up a seal on the fly. That was impressive - even Naruto, pretty much universally accepted as a seal  _ master,  _ took a good while to come up with a new seal. He tended to default back to the same ones, usually, and just tweak them as needed.

For Tenten to look at a situation, think up a solution, and then  _ create  _ that solution, all within seconds? That was an impressive level of intelligence.

A game of shogi between her and Shikamaru would probably be fun to watch. It would probably also last way longer than Shikamaru would willingly tolerate. He might even actually lose, if only by default when he quit. 

He could muse on her strengths later, though: for now, he needed to focus on her weaknesses.

A quick tweak of Crow’s strings opened his arms and launched out a flurry of senbon, each tipped with paralytic. 

Tenten moved so fluidly it was like a dance, springing back and popping the string tying the scroll perched on her shoulder shut. It unrolled along her chest and draped like a strange scarf, familiar symbols arranged in a curious pattern on its surface. A sealing scroll, but modified - Kankuro racked his brain for what that particular arrangement would do, but he saw it before he had it figured out.

The senbon he’d sent toward her struck the broad surface of the scroll, disappearing into the dimensional pocket created by the sealing scrolls. 

A similar scroll to the one she’d used against Ino’s stone attacks, then: a shield that absorbed rather than deflecting. 

Well, that was...unfortunate. He’d have to find a way around that, because ranged weapons were pretty much all he had, with Dragonfly’s poison mists as depleted as they were.

He could probably pull out just enough to knock Tenten out for a couple minutes, but he’d only have one shot. He couldn’t just make a persistent cloud of it and hope she stumbled into it. 

So, he’d need to get her pinned down, and he had to do it  _ without  _ any projectiles, because she could seal those. 

_ I hope she gets to fight Fu one day,  _ Kankuro couldn’t help thinking.  _ They’d be a great matchup, with her quick thinking and Fu’s- SHIT. _

His internal dialogue was interrupted by a knife sailing a hair’s breadth from his cheek as he just barely managed to dodge it. 

“Pay attention!” Tenten snapped at him. “Just because I’m not one of you weirdos doesn’t mean I’m not a threat!”

Kankuro fumbled for a way to explain that he wasn’t underestimating her, but actually the  _ opposite,  _ but he had no words that could be gotten out in the time between her yelling at him and the next arc of kunai flying his way. 

Ah, well. He’d have to apologize later. For now, he needed to figure out how to get around that seal. 

With that in mind, he started throwing kunai, one at a time from every different angle he could manage to get to, testing the range of the seal. 

It probably didn’t look very cool, but Kankuro could worry about that when a girl wasn’t after his blood.

  
  
  
  
  


Kankuro’s dodging and running about the arena in circles, ducking knives just to throw some of his own, called to Gaara’s mind the image of a buzzard circling prey - except far faster, and also significantly less graceful. 

“Wow,” Naruto commented, leaning over the railing. They'd found a tiny nook at the end of the hall that also overlooked the arena, and had taken up posts there to watch the exams until they were comfortable enough to head back. “He’s testing the range of her sealing scroll, I think, but he kind of looks like a swooping bird trying to get bugs.”

“Kankuro does have very magpie- like tendencies,” Gaara mused. “Mainly the collecting of small objects.”

“Did he ever find a use for all those loose screws?”

“The ones he found in the greenhouse?” Gaara asked. “Or the ones in his head?”

Naruto through his head back with a laugh. “Good to have ya back, y’know!”

Gaara sighed. “I almost killed Lee. I thought...for a second, I forgot he wasn't just a puppet. She never used Lee, his chakra system was too rough for the ninjutsu style of control. But all I could see was Kayuga.”

“You went for a control seal, right?” Naruto asked, voice gentle. “You would have ripped his heart out, if you'd managed it. But you wouldn't have.”

Gaara turned sharp, wide eyes on Naruto. 

“Don't look at me like that, it's true, y’know!” He nudged his friend with his shoulder. “If you went for Lee, puppet or otherwise, you'd have to break through all the chakra barriers around his muscles. That's how he's as strong as he is, and you know it. So you'd have had to coat your hand in strong enough chakra to cut through.”

“I did,” Gaara said. “...Didn't I?” 

“I've cut through your sand before,” Naruto reminded him. “If you'd gone at Lee with the strength you'd needed, you would have blown right past Shukaku’s shield. You were holding back.”

“But I-...”

“I would have, too.”

Gaara blinked. “What?”

“If it was Sasuke,” Naruto said, staring off in the distance, eyes fixed on a spot on the other wall of the arena. “If she’d made him a puppet, I wouldn't have been able to go at it with my full strength. No matter how badly I'd want to. I'd always be holding back- probably without even realizing.”

“That's different,” Gaara said. “He was everything to you.”

“And you're telling me that back then, you weren't obsessed with Lee? You talk in your sleep, buddy, I'm sorry to tell ya.”

Gaara flushed faintly, but remained stubbornly frowning. “I wanted to redeem myself to him,” Gaara said. “He forgave me so easily...I wanted to be worthy of that.”

“You also wanted to have his bushy browed babie- Ouch, Gaara, that hurt!”

“Good,” Gaara practically growled, pulling his fist back to his side now that his punch had successfully stopped Naruto’s embarrassing commentary. “Whatever would have happened back then doesn't matter now,” he said. “We’re...what, now, 24? 25? They're children to us. I don't want to think about what might have been, and let that twist how I feel about him now. I won't put another life’s love on the shoulders of someone in this life - especially a  _ child _ .” 

Naruto scrunched up his nose. “Don't remind me. Some days I want to bury myself underground until everyone is twenty, so we're all on the same level.”

“We never got to be adults,” Gaara reminded him. “We've just been children twice. By the time they're all eighteen, they'll have us about beaten on actual adult life experience. Our ages didn't matter when we were leading an army, so we're really not a good reference.”

“Yeah, that’s...Fair. A deal, then.” Naruto turned to his friend, grinning broadly. “For the next five years, all teasing about romantic stuff is off limits. Five years and a day from now, I'm  _ absolutely  _ ragging on you about it, y’know.”

Gaara rolled his eyes. “The five years are a blessing, so forgive me if I'm not at all hesitant to take this deal. I  _ will _ still tell Kurama your secrets if you test me, though.”

Naruto whined at his friend, and the two bickered, but they did so along the way back to the observation room, so it was a progress regardless. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Putting the Kankuro v Tenten fight spanning 2 chaps was a weird choice to make but it's done now and I'm posting it so who gives a shit  
> (Me)  
> ((I give a shit))


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was delayed by a week because i started watching bnha and i binge watched all 38 episodes and then started reading the manga because i couldnt wait for season 3  
> if the platonic love is a little more intense this chapter, its bc deku and his wholesome class family have been the center of my attention for several days

Kankuro was making her dizzy. 

Tenten had many ideas of how her fight would end, but  _ dizzy  _ hadn't been in the plans at all. It was odd to think a man who fought so openly and aggressively against Kiba was straight up running away from all of her attacks. 

He was testing her seal’s range, she could tell, but there were plenty of ways to figure that out that weren't so completely ridiculous. 

Then again, that could have been the point. He trained with jinchuuriki who had notoriously short attention spans. Goofing off until your opponent lost focus was probably a legitimate strategy. 

Hopefully he’d figure out he was wasting his time soon - her seal’s limit was there, but it was in capacity, and she doubted he had enough kunai to fill up the dimensional pocket her scroll was linked with.

  
  
  


_ Now.  _

Kankuro stopped in the middle of a movement, throwing one last kunai and sticking out a hand to catch Crow’s chakra strings again.

He slung the puppet forward, dropping it to sit on the ground just in front of Tenten. She went on defensive immediately, pulling the scroll a bit closer over her chest to ensure she was safe from any attack he launched, but Kankuro didn’t intend to send anything else her way.

He crouched, brushing one hand against the ground before launching full speed toward Tenten.

She moved, blocking with her scroll, just as he’d thought she would. A tug of Crow’s chakra strings, and the puppet’s arms wrapped around him, shields opening to cover Kankuro completely.

The second the protection was in place, he shoved out a hand - freshly coated in the still-wet ink from Sai’s attacks that had been scattered around the arena - and made a single, deliberate mark against the seal. 

_ Please be the right mark,  _ he thought, because he’d never actually studied this particular mark. He was just going off of what he’d seen Naruto do.

Apparently, he learned through observation better than he thought, because the scroll sparked once and then  _ exploded,  _ launching all the kunai out from inside it. 

Blades went in all directions, stabbing into Crow’s shields - one managing to stick in deep enough that it scratched Kankuro’s cheek, just barely missing his eye - while the force of the dimensional pocket collapsing through Tenten back and sent her skidding across the dirt. 

Kankuro moved his hands, letting Crow’s shields drop, and stumbled a bit as he tried to recover from the bit of the blowback that had managed to make it through. 

“Yikes,” he breathed out. “Are you okay?”

Tenten slowly pushed herself up off the ground, and after a moment of hesitation, spit blood onto the ground. “Peachy.” She didn’t bother trying to stand, just flipped over and sat down on the dirt. “You reversed the direction of the wind seals, huh?” 

“No idea,” Kankuro replied. “Naruto does that a lot on accident, so I just tried doing it on purpose.”

Tenten laughed, dropping back down to lay on her back. “Amazing. You’re good, puppet boy.”

“You two, knife girl.”

“Match two of round two, to Kankuro,” Genma announced. “Tenten, do you need a medic-nin?”

“Nah,” she replied, hand lighting up with green chakra as she started to heal herself. “I’ve got it.”

Kankuro crossed the arena, extending a hand down to her to help her up, which she took.

Genma watched them clear out with an amused half-smile. These damn kids would probably have a rough time on a battlefield remembering  _ not  _ to apologize to their actual enemies. 

Oh well. There were worse habits to have.

  
  
  
  


“Next match,” Genma announced, after the arena was clear again. “Sai vs Sasuke.”

Naruto straightened up, staring out over the ledge. “Did he just say…?”

“I guess you’ll get to see who is better after all,” Gaara said. “Instead of just debating based on who you think looks better.”

Naruto flushed, and shoved Gaara’s shoulder. “Shut up! Someone will hear you, and then I’ll have to explain-...”

“Too late!” Sakura called, dropping an arm around his shoulders. “What’s all this about?”

Gaara opened his mouth to reply, and then remembered that was inching dangerously close to breaking their agreement of silence, and stopped himself. “Sai and Sasuke look very similar,” he said, instead. “We were drawing comparisons.” 

Sakura squinted out at the arena as the two boys headed out to start their match. 

“Yeah,” she said. “I guess. That kid beat Hinata really quick, didn’t he? I wonder how long he’ll last before Sasuke drops him on his ass.”

Naruto laughed, and Gaara shook his head with a small smile, amused at his friends. 

Sakura caught the expression, and nudged him. “You okay? I’m not gonna pry into what happened, I’m just making sure there’s nothing I can do here.”

“I’m alright,” Gaara told her. “As long as Lee is. If I’d hurt him…”

“You’d be dead,” Sakura told him, unflinching. “Tenten would  _ bury _ you. You don’t know enough about seals to stop her like Kankuro did.” 

Gaara chuckled quietly to himself. “That’s fair.”

“So stop stressing!” Sakura told him. “Keep your eyes on the boys, instead. This looks like it’ll be fun.”

  
  
  
  


“Sai vs. Sasuke,” Genma called out, not wasting any time - the sooner the matches were done, the better. “Three, two, one - go.” 

Sasuke unsheathed his sword at the same time Sai unrolled the first of his painting scrolls, and the two launched at each other. 

Sasuke was determined not to lose this match. Whatever had happened in his fight with Kabuto, he couldn’t let define his performance in the rest of the exams.

He’d made a pact with himself long ago to get stronger, to be able to meet Naruto on even ground. More than that, he’d decided to do it without checking himself constantly by other’s standards.

Who cared if he followed the paths laid out by Naruto or Itachi or anyone else? What mattered was where he ended up, not how he got there.

Now, though, he was doubting himself. Every single part of him he’d been entirely confident in now seemed uncertain, unproven. 

Sai was the partner of Kabuto, right? Fu’s other guard? It would make sense that they were on the same level. Sasuke had seen Sai fight against Hinata, and he’d been impressively strong. 

If Sasuke could beat Sai, that would prove that the Kabuto fight had been a fluke. That Sasuke wasn’t weak, he just got caught up in the moment and let his insecurities get the best of him.

As his blade cut through the chest of an ink tiger, he made up his mind.

_ I’m going to beat him,  _ he promised himself.  _ And I’m going to keep winning, up until I get to win against Naruto.  _

  
  
  


“You should be with the jinchuuriki.”

Kabuto pushed his glasses up on his nose, turning a disinterested stare toward his teacher. “Technically, my duty was to get her through to the final exam stage. Once teams were unnecessary, I was free to leave.” 

“As far as the Hokage is concerned, yes,” Orochimaru replied. “I, however, gave you  _ different  _ instructions.” 

“I need to head back to check on Shin,” Kabuto explained. “It’s about time for his next dose, and I want to get an estimate of when we can start pulling him out for physical therapy.” 

“The sooner he gets stable, the better.” Orochimaru glanced around, making sure that no one else had entered the hallway they’d stepped into to chat, before speaking to Kabuto in a low voice. “I think that man knew he was sick. I can’t think of any other reason why he would have sent those children my way. Not unless there is some grander plan I’m missing. If only…”

“You could contact him, couldn’t you?”   
Orochimaru huffed. “I  _ can’t _ , you  _ know _ this. I have no idea who he is.”

“Yeah, but you know he’s watching you,” Kabuto pointed out. “All you have to do is give him something to see.”

...Now,  _ there _ was an idea. 

  
  
  
  
  


Sai’s paintbrush lifted off the page with a flourish, letting the ink birds fly forth to draw Sasuke’s attention.

As he moved to prepare his next attack, though, he felt something against his neck, and froze.

“Relax, child,” Kotone’s familiar voice hissed into his ear. “Your sensei sent me. He has a task for you.”

Sai shifted his grip on his brush. “Okay,” he said. “I’m listening.”

  
  
  
  
  


Naruto watched from the balcony as Sai straightened, eyebrows drawing a bit tighter together all of the sudden, something apparently catching his attention.

A moment later, his brush moved again, and the boy painted a series of new creatures. Just as Sasuke finished off the birds who had been circling him, a new wave came, this one made up of…

Oh. Naruto grinned to himself, bringing up a hand to cover the expression, because he didn’t have a way to explain it if someone asked.

_ Okay, Orochimaru,  _ he thought.  _ You noticed that, huh? Point taken. _

Sasuke’s blade came down between the shoulders of the head fox in the pack, but it didn’t make a difference - the message had already been received. 

  
  
  
  


The red tint of Sasuke’s vision could have been his Sharingan starting to become overworked, or could have been the pure rage of his internal dialogue as he grew increasingly frustrated in his fight.

Sai was damn near impossible to hit. Every time Sasuke had an opening to charge for him, something else was there, in his way.

Finally,  _ finally,  _ he had a window. Sai’s ink foxes moved less fluidly than the birds and were less powerful than the tigers, and so Sasuke was able to counter them - not by attacking, but by  _ dodging,  _ weaving through them as he made his way toward Sai.

The boy tried to back up, keeping his distance, but Sasuke was finally close enough to track his movements, and met him in mid step. 

He pulled the sheath for his sword off his hip and used it like a blunt weapon, swinging it low to sweep Sai’s feet out from under him before levelling his blade just to the side of his throat.

“This match goes to Sasuke,” Genma announced. 

“You are very skilled,” the boy on the ground said. “I can see why he is interested in you.”

Sasuke blinked, stunned, and then flushed, because while he wasn’t sure who the kid meant, that was a pretty embarrassing statement to make. 

Sai took advantage of his stumble to get up off the ground and head off, out of the arena, not so much as glancing back.

Sasuke made a mental note to keep an eye on whatever situation was going on there, and headed back to the observation area himself, feeling significantly better about his skills than he had after facing Kabuto. 

_ It was just my emotions,  _ he told himself.  _ I can’t get so worked up. It makes me sloppy. _

The problem was, Sasuke wasn’t really sure how to avoid that.

  
  
  
  
  


“All one-on-one matches are complete, for now,” Genma announced. “The next two matches will be three-person free-for-alls, with the victors facing each other for the final victory.” 

Sakura perked up, enthused. “Does that mean…?”

“Sasuke, Sakura, and Kankuro,” the exam proctor called. “Front and center. You’re the next match.”

“Oh, lovely,” Kankuro practically whimpered. “Don’t cry for me, Temari. I lived a good life, short as it was.”

Temari rolled her eyes and shoved her brother toward the stairs. “Just get out there, you big dork.”

“Wish me luck!” Sakura told Naruto.

Naruto grabbed both Sakura and Sasuke by their shoulders, and dragged them into a big hug. “Good luck! I’m really proud of you guys!”

Sakura wished she could see Sasuke’s face, beyond the tiny sliver of it in her peripheral vision over Naruto’s shoulder, because what she saw was him looking beet red and ready to pass out. 

That poor loser. He was  _ hopeless.  _

“Thanks, Naruto,” she said. “I can’t wait to see who makes the final round. Let’s aim to face off against each other, okay?”

Naruto released her, grinning. “Sure thing!” 

“Quit planning ahead,” Sasuke said, when Naruto released them and he was able to talk over his own pounding heartbeat. “You have to beat me, first.”

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him. “Bring your best game, then, boys. I’m going all in.”

Naruto shooed them toward the steps. “Go, go! I can’t wait any longer. This is gonna be  _ amazing.” _

The three contestants all started making their way down to the arena, and the others watched on with excitement. 

Regardless of who won the next three matches, watching them would be a damn good time, that much was certain.

Besides - the sooner everything was wrapped up, the sooner Naruto could go about sorting out his affairs in the rest of the village. Apparently, he needed to pay Orochimaru another visit.

He just hoped he could remember what all he’d done with his henge the first time. It would be a rough time if he showed up with a different face, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i decided to try something and that something is a discord server so if you wanna be friends here's a link: [!BOOP!](https://discord.gg/A3YtJna)  
> i have a channel on it that will be dedicated to me asking questions about where i should take undecided plot points in faab and generally yelling about future stuff because im impatient to get to it so if that interests you i guess come hang out with me


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1 v 1 v 1, or 'Genma's No Good, Rotten, Very Bad Day'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i procrastinated writing this so long that i have like 5 chapters worth of future content already written  
> man why did i decide to write so many fight scenes when i HATE writing fight scenes??? rip

“Maybe you should ask Naruto for a kiss, for good luck.”

Sasuke nearly fell down the stairs, stumbling at that.

“That was dirty,” Kankuro scolded. “Look at him. He’s the cherry to your cherry blossom, right now.” 

“I hate both of you,” Sasuke informed them, speeding up a bit to beat them into the arena. “I’m going to bury you both out there, and just pretend I underestimated my own strength and the whole thing was a tragic accident.”

Genma looked up as the three entered the arena’s main area, eyebrows raised at the tail end of the commentary he’d managed to catch. “Do I want to know?”

He was met with a chorus of three simultaneous “no”s, which made him uncomfortable.

“Okay,” he sighed out. “Everyone ready to begin?” He checked to see them all nod, and then raised his voice, starting the countdown. “Non-jinchuuriki final elimination match, start. Three, two, one -  _ go.”  _

Kankuro popped a new sealing scroll off his belt, and brought out Salamander, hopping up onto the puppet’s back the second it was in front of him. If he was going to stand a chance against the other two, he would need to let them wear each other out as much as possible before he stepped in, which meant going on the defensive. 

“Oh, no you don’t!” Sakura called, and reared back a hand, weaving hand signs for an earth jutsu and using a pillar of rock rising up beneath the puppet to throw it through the air. 

Kankuro pulled hard at the chakra strings, triggering the full coverage shield of Salamander’s defense, so that he was encased in a bubble of iron just before the puppet struck down, keeping him safe. He had a split second to contemplate how he was going to flip the thing back over before Sasuke struck, his blade driving straight into the weak joint at the base of the shield, breaking the iron dome off the puppet’s back. 

Kankuro hopped off Salamander’s back immediately when the shield was gone, hopping back several feet and yanking the chakra strands back toward him to keep his puppet out of harm’s way. Another twitch of his fingers, and Salamander’s jaw dropped open, revealing his rarely-used offensive weapons. 

_ I really should have saved the other puppets for this,  _ he berated himself. There was no helping it now, though, and he honestly hadn’t expected to get this far. 

He pulled the right strings to launch a fireball out of Salamander’s mouth, heading toward Sasuke, only for it to be interrupted along the way by a water jutsu from Sakura.

Apparently, she  _ also  _ realized that Kankuro couldn’t possibly beat both of them working together. Unfortunate.

Luckily, Kankuro still had hope in the fact that Sasuke was not even remotely cooperative in a fight.

_ Un _ luckily, Sasuke was also a semi-decent strategist, and would probably be able to keep up with any on-the-fly plans Kankuro made. 

He needed an actual strategy,  _ fast.  _ One that was clever enough to avoid being countered by Sasuke, but strong enough to in turn counter Sakura. 

_ So, basically,  _ he thought, looking between his opponents.  _ I have to move a mountain, to stop a river. No pressure. _

How exactly had he backed himself into this corner? Honestly, Tenten would probably be a more suitable opponent for these two. They had Kankuro pretty much made.

He wasn’t about to give up, though. He was gonna go down, but he was gonna go down swinging.

  
  
  
  


Earth pillars started rising up around Sakura, positioned near each other just so to narrow her path to Sasuke. 

Keeping them apart, forcing them to focus their efforts on either fighting Kankuro or reaching each other, unable to do both at once.

Luckily, Sakura had an idea to get around that.

She weaved the hand signs she needed, and used a water jutsu to create a flowing river that weaved between the pillars, heading toward the boys. That started, she took the time to pull on her poison-needle gloves, and forced her thumbs down against a trigger in each of her palms.

Poison forced its way out of the pocket beneath the metal plate the needles extended from, starting to drip off the points. She moved quickly, shoving her hands knuckle-down into the rushing water, letting them taint it. 

_ Now,  _ she thought,  _ I just have to get it in their system.  _

The easiest way to do that was to open a wound while they were still in the stream, but that wouldn’t be easy. 

Still, she was up for the challenge. This was more fun than she’d had in ages. 

  
  
  
  


Rushing streams came for Sasuke’s ankles, and he backed up quickly, perfectly aware that standing in water would be bad for his primarily fire and lightning based attacks. 

Especially the latter. 

That gave him an idea, though, and he brought his hands up to start a lightning jutsu, channelling a bolt of it straight into the nearest creeping fingertrail of water. 

The spark travelled through, cackling ominously and leaving scorch marks along the earth pillars around them. He heard a sound that was probably Kankuro swearing, which was a good sign. 

_ Did I get him?  _ he wondered.  _ I can’t see anyone with all this shit around.  _

He used his sword to slice through a few of the nearby pillars, leading the dirt to crumple down to where it had started. 

He was rewarded with the sight of Kankuro crouching behind the broken-off shield from his puppet, apparently having used it as a barrier between him and the electrified water headed his way. 

His attack hadn’t done any damage to him. Meaning that all three had made a move, and they weren’t any closer to finding a victor than when they started.

This match really would be interesting.

  
  
  
  
  


The three combatants in the match had a very limited awareness of each other, but for the outside observers, the fight looked a bit like this:

The water seeped between each pillar, creating a wet field for the three to fight on, before Sasuke sent electricity through. Kankuro rolled into the shield of his puppet and used that like a boat to escape the water underfoot, until he was at the edge of it, where the higher ground of the outer arena was dry, before hiding behind it.

Sakura, on the other hand, countered with an earth jutsu, sinking all the pillars Kankuro had raised into the water to create a thick mud, which baked with the heat of Sasuke’s lightning to create an uneven but solid ground. A few more hand signs, and she slammed a palm down on the cooked clay at her feet, using a water jutsu to gather fluid from the mud into one area under Sasuke’s feet, softening the earth and sinking him into it. 

The boy didn’t give her the chance to trap him, but swung his sword around, sticking it down into the ground in front of him and using it as a vaulting point to swing around, sending him safely back to the grass outside the reach of the chaotic mix of jutsus. He pulled the blade up just as Sakura moved to harden the mud again, leaving only the very tip of the sword in the ground, and it took only a simple twist of the blade to break the trail of earth that had followed it out. 

All three fighters stood in a triangle, each one assessing their opponents for an opening, and the audience of the fight all held their breath as the evidence of a stalemate started to show.

Kankuro had an idea, then, and went for an earth jutsu of his own. Spikes started jutting up across the arena, shooting up needle-like tendrils that chased down both of his opponents. Sakura dodged them, springing back each time one got close, while Sasuke swung his sword back around to cut through each approaching one. 

Kankuro was fast, though, and there were only so many places in the arena left to go. Eventually, he had Sasuke against a wall and Sakura against a tree, and managed to scrape a spike through Sasuke’s leg and Sakura’s arm. 

“You missed, jackass!” Sakura called out, cracking her knuckles. 

“No, I didn’t!” Kankuro called back, his eyes on Sasuke.

Sakura followed his stare to watch Sasuke stumble, the scratched leg starting to shake and bow. 

Right - the mud had been made with poisoned water. That poison was probably mostly neutralized or evaporated, but there would be enough left to cause problems. Sasuke’s body would most likely be fine, but his leg would be numb for a while.

Sakura was grateful, as always, that she was used to most of her own poisons. Fighting one-handed would have  _ sucked.  _

As it was, Sasuke was at a distinct disadvantage, and the window of time she had to beat Kankuro was getting smaller. 

Luckily, Sasuke apparently took the poisoning as a cue he needed to be more aggressive, because when he looked up from scowling at his own leg, his Sharingan was spinning away wildly.

She dropped her eyes quickly, locking them onto Sasuke’s sword - he always moved it before he moved his body, so that was her best bet for a warning.

Kankuro, meanwhile, wasn’t so lucky, the brief glance up having been enough for Sasuke to catch him in the genjutsu aimed his way. 

Inside Kankuro’s mind, he was sinking in the mud like Sasuke had been, except he had no escape. He was simply being buried, earth climbing up to his shoulders to trap him.

Outside of his mind, he was stood perfectly still, eyes wide and distant as he reacted to something that did not actually exist. 

With him safely out of the way, it was down to Sakura and Sasuke, ready to face off head-to-head. 

His sword tipped sideways, ever so slightly, and Sakura used that to guess he’d be moving in the same direction. She launched the opposite way, dodging the attack headed toward her just in time. 

“Damn,” Sasuke swore, sword passing just over her shoulder, shaving a strip off the side of her head.

She narrowed her eyes at her teammate. He’d better hope that her hair covered that when she let her ponytail down, or she was going to  _ destroy  _ him. 

He swung his sword for her again, and this time she lifted her hand, using the metal plate of her gloves to deflect the blade, wincing at the harsh scraping noise the clash made. 

Their fight turned to a dance, Sasuke jabbing and dashing with his sword and Sakura forcibly redirecting the blade to stay clear of her body. 

He had her on the defensive, and that would end badly for her, but Sasuke was also moving delicately, his numbed leg slowing down his movements and making them awkward. 

Carefully, she started timing his attacks, trying to memorize the pattern he tended to default to. Once she had a good idea of it, she kept an eye out for the right movement - and,  _ there _ . Sasuke jabbed out with his sword, and she blocked it with the plate on the back of her knuckles, shoving her fist upward to push the blade out of her way, dropping down beneath it to slam a fist into Sasuke’s stomach. 

The poison from her needles had all been soaked into the water, earlier, so that wasn’t present, but the needles would still hurt and she didn’t exactly pull her punches. Sasuke hunched over her fist, letting out a hard grunt, and she yanked the needle-coated fist out of his stomach to turn and shove an elbow just to the side of the new wound. 

Sasuke’s grip on his sword faltered, and the blade hit the ground to Sakura’s side as he collapsed onto her shoulder. 

“Last qualifier to Sakura!” Genma announced.

Sakura gave a victorious shout, moving her arms to circle around Sasuke’s waist and haul him up into the air in a hug. “Sorry, buddy!”

Sasuke groaned over her shoulder,  and she sat him back down onto the dirt, crouching next to him. 

“Sorry, sorry,” she laughed, hands lighting up green as she worked to heal him. “I’ll fix that. Let Kankuro go, would you?”

Sasuke’s red eyes span lazily once, twice, and then fizzled out, fading back to black. “That  _ hurt _ , Sakura.”

“What?” she grinned at him from her healing of his stomach. “Your stomach, or your ego?”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Just kick ass in the final. Asshole.”

“Sasuke, what the  _ fuck?”  _ Kankuro cried out, hitting the ground as the genjutsu finally faded completely. “What kind of sick bastard drowns someone in  _ mud?  _ I’m gonna have nightmares.” 

Genma closed his eyes, tipping his head up toward the ceiling. 

“Can you three clear out?” he sighed out, just shy of pleading. “Two more matches, and I get to go home. I’d rather get them over with.”

Sakura laughed, and stood again, throwing her teammate over her shoulder yet again. “Can do! Come on, boys.”

“It scares me that he’s not even heavy to her,” Kankuro muttered, before rushing to follow the kunoichi out of the arena. 

Genma really hoped the Jinchuuriki were as overpowered as everyone believed them to be, because someone granting Sakura Haruno any sort of administrative power was a nightmare in the making. 

Not that she wasn’t already horrifying. Honestly, Kakashi’s whole team was full of freaks. Ranks weren’t going to matter with this generation - he was just avoiding them all on principle. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sakura can carry sasuke like a sack of potatoes and does at every opportunity   
> she could probably carry kankuro too but hes bigger than her so its awkward trying to get him on her shoulder


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ultimate Showdown Of Ultimate Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the exams are almost over, thank the lort

The second Genma called for the jinchuuriki, Fu simply launched herself over the railing, chakra construct wings fluttering to slow her descent so she could land just gently enough to not hurt herself. 

Not to be outdone, Naruto vaulted over the edge as well, coating his hand in chakra and using it as a grounding point to slide slowly down the wall.

Gaara, recognizing that his friends would kill him if he made them wait for him to walk down the stairs, let his sand form a platform that he stepped out onto and then lowered to the ground.

Genma watched all of this with resignation, unspeakably glad the matches were almost over. 

“Okay,” he announced, when all three were staring at him expectantly. “Three, two, one...go.”

He had to body flicker to get out of the way in time for Fu to drop down to a crouch, wings batting hard to stir up a whirlwind around her. 

Gaara responded to the move by swirling sand up into the wind, turning Fu’s attack into a sandstorm of his own control. 

Naruto used the cover of the chaos to strike out himself, forming a rasengan and using it to tear through the path of the winds. Pushing through the sand slowed him down, though, and it was easy enough for Fu to duck under it and rise up underneath his extended arm, grabbing it and pulling him off balance, dragging him into the harshest winds of the sandstorm and letting the force throw him a good few feet back.

Just as she’d thought, the sand immediately stopped, it and her wind both dissipating as Gaara panicked. 

He was probably sensitive, at the moment, after nearly hurting Lee, but Fu wasn’t going to go easy on her boys anytime soon. They could get serious, or they could lose.

Preferably both. 

  
  


Gaara watched Naruto rise, pushing himself up as he shook off the dirt that coated him from his skidding across the ground, and let out a relieved sigh. Gaara hadn’t anticipated anyone actually getting caught by his sandstorm, so he’d let it spin freely, leaving Shukaku in command of it. 

He supposed that wouldn’t matter much - even if he had hit Naruto full force, Kurama would heal him the same second Shukaku cut off the attack. Still, old habits die hard, and Gaara had been fearing for Naruto’s health for longer than he was technically meant to have been alive. 

“Hey, cactus boy,” Fu called to him, just a split second before she slammed into him, knocking him down onto his back and pinning him down. “Don’t get distracted!”

Gaara raised his arms to block a punch, and then quickly straightened them, catching Fu at her wrist and elbow and using those two points as leverage to drag her to the side, throwing her off him. 

As they both shot up to their feet, a distinct  _ pop  _ clued them in to Naruto’s favorite jutsu activating, and Gaara jumped back just in time for a clone to sail past, just having missed tackling him the same way Fu had.

Gaara was uncertain when his friends had decided that the best way to beat him was to pin him down, so he couldn’t dodge, but he really wasn’t a fan of it.

As it was, he shot out a whip of sand, popping the shadow clone as it stumbled by. 

_ This is gonna be a stalemate,  _ Shukaku’s voice rumbled in the back of his mind.  _ You might need to get serious.  _

_ You just want out,  _ Gaara accused. 

_ I wanna play, too,  _ Shukaku jokingly whined.  _ C’mon. _

Gaara laughed, and let his eyes fall closed, chakra whirling around him.

When his eyes opened again, they were in the dark and haunted form of his tailed beast mode. 

  
  
  
  


_ Oh look,  _ Kurama jeered.  _ Shukaku loaned Gaara one whole tail. What ever shall we do? _

Naruto rolled his eyes. “Don’t be an asshole,” he muttered, before reaching for the Kyuubi’s chakra. The fox met his request with just enough chakra for a two-tail mode, probably just to be a brat.

_ We’ll need more than that if Chomei shows up,  _ Naruto reminded him.

He was hit with the vague impression of indifference that he interpreted as a mental shrug. 

Naruto shook his head, amused. Kurama was such a little shit, honestly. 

  
  
  
  


_ Oh, oh!  _ Chomei practically cackled in the back of Fu’s mind.  _ We’re going all out! Lemme out, lemme out!  _

Fu wasn’t about to argue, letting Chomei’s chakra rise up to coat her. 

Three jinchuuriki in tailed beast mode - even if Kurama wasn’t all in, the jerk - was probably going to give someone a heart attack.

Most likely Genma. Did he get clear? She really didn’t have time to check. 

_ He’s gone,  _ Chomei informed her.  _ We’re good to go. Let’s crush them! _

She didn’t have to be told twice.

  
  
  
  


Gaara figured it was a testament to how far they’d come that the acidic taste in his mouth of Shukaku’s chakra cloak was more of a comfort than anything, where it had once been his warning that he needed to get far away from people and fight for his life. 

Now - especially after the bijuu stopped him from hurting Lee - it was similar to the feeling of having teammates at his back. Just a reminder that he wasn’t fighting alone, which was greatly appreciated. 

Especially when Fu flared her fingers out, sending tiny chakra stingers flying out his way, and Shukaku raised a reflexive sand wall to block them.

Those things  _ hurt.  _

His sand swirled again, Shukaku reacting to an attack from his other side that he hadn’t even seen. He looked to follow it, watching the wave wrap around three shadow clones and toss them all aside.

Make that  _ two  _ shadow clones, because the one in the center didn’t pop when it hit the ground, but slid back and got to his feet.

Naruto held out a hand, and Gaara watched him start to spin the chakra for another rasengan...only for it to sputter and fade out, dissipating in his palm.

Gaara was confused for a split second, before he realized what was happening. Naruto hardly ever used his father’s jutsu anymore, and trying to use it when surrounded by sand…

It probably brought back some bad memories. 

Gaara faltered as the stray thought tried to drag his own mind down a dark path, and he shook it off, focusing instead on sending sand spikes shooting across the ground to chase Naruto back, caging him closer to Fu.

Naruto got almost right up to Fu before he realized Gaara was trying to set him up for a surprise attack from the girl, and responded by coating his hands in Kurama’s chakra, letting them start to heal the skin just as fast as he damaged it when he threw himself forward, catching one of the sand spikes’ tip and hauling himself over the top of it. He moved the chakra cloak to his feet, and took to hopping between the tips of the spikes, chasing them back down to their origin. 

Gaara reacted by slamming his hands onto the ground, dissolving the closer spikes and replacing them with a high wall of sand.

He had about four seconds to breathe before Naruto was hauling himself over the top of the wall, followed closely by a flying Fu. 

Gaara thought, for a second, that Naruto hadn’t noticed he’d been followed, and that Fu was about to get him without Gaara needing to do anything but dodge.

He was  _ wrong.  _

Naruto dropped down, arm out like he was going for a punch, and then darted aside at the last second, striking the ground and rolling out of the way. 

Fu’s momentum from the attack she’d been aiming Naruto’s way carried through, and Gaara brought up his primary sand shield just in time for her to slam into it. Wind from the jutsu she’d been preparing blew around the sides of it, tearing streaks into his arms with its force, as his sand shield started to crack under the pressure. 

He backed up quickly, raising several more shields in succession, watching as they started to crumble one after the other. 

He spared a moment to glance back, watching Naruto get back to his feet and prepare to strike from behind.

_ Shukaku,  _ Gaara called.  _ I have an idea.  _

Shukaku’s answering laugh was nearly sadistic.  _ I’m all ears.  _

  
  
  
  


Naruto gathered chakra around his fist, waiting for Fu to chase Gaara back far enough for him to simply strike out and knock him aside. He was stronger than Fu or Gaara - or, well, Kurama was stronger than Chomei or Shukaku, at least - but they tended to beat him through strategy and teamwork, relying on his scattered focus to help them beat him. Taking one of them out would help his chances significantly. 

Just before he could strike, though, sand swirled around Gaara, and he vanished.

_ Shit, _ Naruto thought, turning to try and look where Gaara had flickered off to.

He’d just caught sight of his friend sitting on a high branch of one of the few trees still standing, when Fu’s attack slammed into his back.

“Ooph!”

He hit the ground hard, and Kurama responded for him while he recovered, flicking out a chakra tail and using it to bat Fu aside. 

Fu simply rolled sideways, dodging the attack quickly before striking out again with a sweeping kick, her leg coated in a thick layer of Chomei’s chakra. It sliced straight through both tails Kurama had provided, and Naruto would need to remember to rub it in later that Kurama’s hubris was what got their asses kicked. 

Because they were  _ absolutely  _ about to be crushed. 

Sure enough, a moment later, Fu used the lack of Kurama’s protection to get him, striking down with one of her stingers.

Sharp pain washed over him, followed by an uncomfortable numbness, marking the sting as a paralyzing one.

Kurama started working on burning it off immediately, but it would take a little while. If Fu got Gaara pinned before it was gone, the match would be over.

Fu must have realized this, too, because she didn’t waste a single second before running off toward where Gaara had vanished to. 

  
  
  
  


Gaara watched Fu approach with the same sort of feeling he’d felt facing Deidara over Suna, once upon a time. That sort of distant acceptance, where he realized he’d need to make a call and make it fast.

A bit of a dramatic example, but still accurate.

If he lasted a full minute, Naruto would probably have burned out the poison Fu just struck him with, and would be able to surprise her with another attack. Gaara would probably lose to Fu just in time for her to lose to Naruto.

Alternately, if he  _ didn’t,  _ he’d lose to Fu and Fu would win.

He wasn’t one to play favorites - except that he absolutely  _ was _ , and Naruto won every time. 

_ We just need to give Naruto time,  _ he thought to Shukaku.

The bijuu responded with irritation and offended muttering, apparently disliking the idea that they were giving up the chance for a win.

That moment of dissention was just enough to distract him, before the tree he was on suddenly started crackling ominously, before flames began to rise up around him.

Fu had hit the tree with a lightning attack. 

Gaara hopped up, letting sand cover the branch he was on and form a ramp down to the ground, helping him get clear of the burning wood. 

When he touched down, he paused, confused: Fu was gone. He couldn’t sense her chakra, at first, and then he sensed it  _ everywhere.  _

He looked around, swearing as he saw what looked like  _ thousands  _ of chakra construct butterflies flying about in a circle around him.

He had a moment to be impressed with the fact that Fu had managed to develop a jutsu of this scale secret, just before she dropped down onto his shoulders, bringing clenched hands down in a double fist into the top of his head.

“How do you like my new trick?” she asked, just as he struck the ground. “Oh, yikes, you look like you’re gonna puke. Did I give you a concussion? Gaara!”

She poked his cheek.

“You win,” Gaara muttered in response. “Have fun with Sakura.”

There was a beat of dead silence.

“Holy shit,” Fu breathed, before launching up into the air, arms up in victory. “I won! I get to fight  _ Sakura!”  _ She turned toward the observation area the others waited on, waving violently. “Sakura! We get to fight! I’m so excited! I’m gonna  _ kick your butt!”  _

Gaara carefully pushed himself up out of the dirt, waiting for Shukaku to heal the concussion he most definitely had before he stood up all the way. Some distance behind him, he could hear Naruto muttering to himself - or, more likely, to Kurama.

“We’re almost done,” Genma’s voice came from the side, as the proctor reappeared in the arena. “Clear out, boys. Last match of the exam.” 

He muttered something after that, sounding something like  _ thank god,  _ and Gaara resisted the urge to inform him that there was nothing relieving about the last match being between Fu and Sakura.

They were going to destroy Konoha, most likely.

_ Oh well,  _ Shukaku said.  _ I didn’t like it here that much anyway.  _

Gaara sighed, and went to go scoop Naruto up out of the dirt, to carry him back out of the arena.

He, personally, would miss Konoha quite a bit. Maybe Sakura would bat her eyelashes a couple of times and distract Fu enough to win without much chaos.

Or maybe that would cause  _ more _ chaos. With those two, it was hard to tell. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all didnt really think i was gonna pass up on lettin my ladies duke it out did ya


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> after 8 years the author emerges with an update that's gayer than ever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally,,,,the last fight scene for like 20 more chapters,,,,i can rest,,,,

“Inoichi,” Genma called.

Inoichi straightened, turning to look at the proctor. “Aren’t you supposed to be calling out the next match?”

“I’ve got a minute, first. I needed to tell you something.”

_ That _ didn’t sound good. “What is it?”

“I think there’s something going on,” he said. “Something...bad. Those kids that were assigned to Fu’s temporary team? They’re Orochimaru’s, and I think they’re up to something.”   
“I’ll look into it,” Inoichi promised. “I’ll get Shikaku to help, too.”

“Thanks,” Genma said. “I just...Really don’t like the feeling I’m getting from these kids, you know?”

“I know.”   
Genma gave a short, pleased nod, and flickered away.

Inoichi took a deep breath and turned, heading to go seek out Shikaku. 

Apparently, they had an investigation to begin. 

  
  


Fu bounced back and forth between her feet, high-strung with anticipation of the fight to come. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon! Sakura, hurry up!”

Sakura approached at her own pace, shaking her head at Fu’s enthusiasm. “I’m not a jinchuuriki, remember? I’m not gonna waste chakra just to get here faster.” She came to a stop in front of Fu, and looked to Genma. “Okay, okay, I’m ready.”

“Last match,” Genma announced. “Finally. Three, two, one, go.”

He flickered away just in time to avoid being caught in the wind jutsu Fu launched across the arena. 

Sakura crossed her arms in front of her, taking the blast of wind to them and skidding back as the force pushed her back. The second the winds dispersed, she was flicking a handful of her own personal favorite weapons, small spiked marbles coated in mild stinging poison. 

Another wind jutsu cut them off in air, sending them back in a wide and wild arc, scattering them and sending the dropping into the sand all around her, one brushing her cheek in the process.

While she was immune to most of her actually debilitating poisons, the stinging one wasn’t adaptable, and she hissed as pain flared along her cheek. 

When Fu’s wind cut off, she heaved through harsh breaths, the chakra exhaustion of her large and wild attacks starting to get to her.

_ Fu!  _ Chomei called, sounding worried.  _ Are you okay? You’re wearing yourself out! _

Fu shook her head, trying to summon the strength to push through it.  _ Give me a little more chakra, please. I can win this. _

Chomei didn’t seem happy about it, but acquiesced, letting a little more chakra bleed through Fu’s seal. 

Fu hunched over, the disproportionate levels of bijuu chakra against her own starting to morph her body into tailed beast form, her skin developing a layer of soft fuzz like that of a bug’s body, her skin turning grey and a cloud of chakra forming around her.

Sakura backed up a few steps as two of Chomei’s seven tails sprung free. 

“Better!” Fu called out, still panting slightly but feeling far less like she was about to fall over. 

“Not from where I’m standing,” Sakura muttured. 

Fu launched herself into the air, wings beating harshly, before she rolled into a ball and dropped out of the air, smashing hard into the ground and sending a shockwave rolling out in a ring around her.

Sakura scrambled backward, escaping the trembling earth by launching herself up into one of the trees. It  _ also  _ shook, rather violently even, but it was easier to wedge herself between the branches than to try and stay on her feet while on the ground. 

If she wanted to win, she needed a strategy. 

“Chomei!” Fu breathed out a shout, and a moment later a third tail appeared behind her.

_ She’s exhausted,  _ Sakura realized.  _ She’s relying on Chomei completely. _

….Sakura had a really, really bad idea.

She took a deep, steadying breath for courage, and then jumped down out of the tree.

“Fu!” She called out. When the other girl looked her way, she raised her hands into a fighting stance. “Your speed versus my strength. Let’s fight like this.”

Fu narrowed her eyes, clearly suspicious, but after a moment she darted down, dropping down out of the sky and onto Sakura, hand reeled back for a punch.

Sakura took the impact and dropped with it, catching Fu’s fist and using it to drag the girl forward and off of her, tossing her across the ground. She barely had time to get out of the dirt before Fu recovered and came at her again, this time spinning to kick her.

Sakura grabbed Fu’s ankle and yanked, dropping the jinchuriki to the ground, and then pinning her down, back up to the air.

Set up to act, she made her move, pulling free the chakra-blocking poisoned senbon she carried.

Fu’s seal was on her back, Sakura knew, the center located just between where she created her wings. 

That in mind, Sakura thought,  _ here goes nothing,  _ and slammed the needle down into the center of the seal.

The reaction was immediate. As Chomei’s chakra flow was cut off from Fu, her extra skin and appendages fizzled out, leaving Fu to collapse on the ground, barely conscious. 

“Oh,” Fu muttered, weak, against the ground. “That’s dirty, flower.” 

“Yeah,” Sakura panted in return. “But I won.”

And, holy shit, she’d won.

In a competition with three jinchuuriki, she’d  _ won. _

When the shock-induced deafness left her, she realized the sound around her was the sound of the crowd, going wild cheering at the unexpected victory.

She’d  _ won. _

  
  
  
  


The Chunin exams were concluded with the notice that a board of elite shinobi from various villages would work together to decide who had performed well enough to be granted chunin status, with only Sakura’s rank being granted automatically. 

Immediately afterward, Naruto dragged all of his friends and most of their families to his house, demanding they had a party to celebrate.

“So,” Sakura said, when all the younger generation were gathered together in a group at the party. “How does it feel to be obliterated?”

“Amazing,” Fu said, before breaking off to yawn. “Sorry.”

From her side, hand coated in Kurama’s red chakra, Naruto grinned. “I think she’s too tired to be upset.”

“Why would I be upset?” Fu asked. “Sakura had to resort to dirty tricks to beat me. I’ll take that as a compliment, and be proud of it.”

“Does it have anything to do with the fact she sat on you?” Kiba asked.

Fu gave a wide, heavily exaggerated yawn. “Man, I’m tired. Did I mention that? Maybe I should take a nap.”

“Good catch, there, Kiba,” Naruto said.

“I don’t understand any of you,” Sasuke informed them.

“Of course not,” Kiba replied. “You like boys.” 

“Sasuke doesn’t like boys,” Sakura said. “Sasuke likes  _ one  _ boy.” 

“I can see how that’s confusing,” Sasuke added, ignoring Naruto’s curious look at Sakura’s words. “Considering the only one of us that’s open about their interests is Fu, and she is very...  _ enthusiastic  _ about liking girls.” 

“Yeah I am!” Fu cried out, draping across Sasuke’s shoulders. “You’re missing out, buddy.”

“I really don’t think I am.”

Fu rolled her eyes. “You and Gaara both.”

“Does Gaara not like girls either?” Kiba asked. 

“Gaara likes-..,” Sakura began, only to be interrupted with three different answers: an excited “ _ Naruto _ !” from Fu, an amused “ _ Lee _ ,” from Temari, and from Gaara himself, a deadpan “ _ Cacti _ .”

There was a beat of silence, before Gaara lowered his burning face into his hands. 

“I’m going to let Shukaku take over,” Gaara threatened. “I’m going to make him deal with you, so I don’t have to.”

“He wouldn’t last five minutes,” Fu challenged.

Gaara raised his eyes back up to her, grimacing. “Did you have to say that? Now he’s going to  _ want  _ to.” 

_ Hell no,  _ Shukaku immediately interjected.  _ I’m not taking that bait. Chomei is a scatterbrained mess at the best of times, but her jinchuuriki is a  _ menace _. You can keep her.  _

“I love you guys,” Sakura informed them. “Never change.”

“No worries,” Naruto replied. “I’ve never changed in my life.”

  
  
  
  


Inoichi leaned against the high table that served as the party’s impromptu bar - even though he had no idea who had set it up - sipping a drink as he watched the proceedings. 

Genma’s warnings buzzed in his mind, and he had to fight not to slip back into full investigations mode, just keeping a passive eye on the suspicious characters present. He wouldn’t do any good letting Sai or Kabuto know he was watching them, if they really were Orochimaru’s. 

He  _ also  _ wouldn’t do any good letting his daughter catch him working when they were meant to be celebrating. Her semi-rivalry with Sakura confused him beyond measure, because sometimes she raged for days at some minor accomplishment the girl managed, but she was right at Haruno’s side with a bright smile and honest pride at her chunin status, not a hint of jealousy to be seen. 

It probably helped that no one had held out much hope for anyone other than the jinchuuriki getting promoted. To have a girl whose family was technically civilian status beat out not one, but  _ three  _ jinchuuriki for chunin status…

Even Inoichi was impressed, actually. 

...Haruno was a poison expert, wasn’t she? Maybe he could talk her into working with his investigations team. 

He was cut off from his thoughts by movement out of the corner of his eye, and turned to watch Shikaku drop down to lean on the table as well, right next to him. 

“He’s not entirely Orochimaru’s,” he said without introduction, speaking quietly so as to go unheard but not being suspicious about it. “Orochimaru wasn’t in the village yet when their records start. The kid, Sai - he’s an unknown, but Kabuto has history. He went to the Academy, he’s had three genin teams, he’s failed the chunin exams before. Whatever he’s up to, I think throwing the exams is part of the plan.”

“Typical tactic,” Inoichi mused. “Good way to be underestimated.”

“Which makes me worried,” Shikaku said. “If we don’t know what he’s capable of, we don’t know how screwed we are whenever he gets to act on whatever shit Orochimaru’s come up with.” 

Inoichi hummed, considering. “So we need to get his measure, and find out where the kid came from, and then we’ll have a good jumping off point.”

“I’m thinking about asking Shikamaru his thoughts.” 

At Inoichi’s bewildered look, Shikaku laughed.

“He’s got something,” Shikaku insisted. “Whenever stuff comes up about the jinchuuriki kids, his face goes blank. He’s figured something out, there, and he’s trying not to let me know what it is.”

“He’s hiding something? From  _ you _ ?”

“I know,” Shikaku said. “I don’t like it either.”

Inoichi let out a harsh breath. “Shit. So we have an unknown child who was probably kidnapped, a kid who may be a secret agent for a former Akatsuki member, and something weird going on with the demon kids.”

“Be careful,” Shikaku warned. “Someone will hear that and take it as an insult, and the foot in your mouth won’t be a metaphor for long, because someone will kick your teeth in.”

Unable to help it, Inoichi’s eyes slid across the room, to where Shisui Uchiha was leading his blind cousin around the room by the arm, slowly dragging him closer and closer to the food table. 

Shisui had retired from Anbu when Itachi got sick, and had taken a job in cryptography. Most of his translations came with unsolicited ‘advice’ in the notes, that was actually rather insightful and, occasionally, slightly disturbing.

Inoichi ran the department that dealt in  _ torture,  _ and Shisui’s casual notes about how to deal with this traitor or that criminal could still turn his stomach. 

Considering the kid had adopted Naruto long before the rest of the village had started warming up to him, he should probably keep his mouth shut.

“Besides,” Shikaku said, voice heavy with a sly amusement that made Inoichi immediately nervous. “You’d think you’d be nicer to your pen pal.”

Inoichi frowned, looking to Shikaku in confusion.

His friend grinned at him. “You know, your cactus buddy?”

Inoichi was lost for a moment, before he remembered the time years ago when he’d gotten cacti from an online acquaintance in Suna.

He wasn’t an idiot, but the connection took a long time to click: the jinchuuriki for the Ichibi was from Suna. His pen pal was from Suna. Shikaku was linking them together.

_ Gaara was the cactus guy.  _

“What the hell?” Inoichi cried out. “He would have been, like,  _ six!”  _

“Yeah,” Shikaku laughed. “Yeah, he would have.”

That was it. Inoichi was retiring. Konoha could take its weird bijuu bullshit and handle it without him.

  
  
  


Getting Gaara alone was a struggle all on its own, the boy so strongly glued to Naruto’s side that Lee thought he’d have to do something drastic to separate them.

In the end, though, all it had taken was waiting for Gaara to be distracted by his siblings, and asking  _ Naruto  _ if Lee could have a moment to speak to Gaara. Naruto was immediately grabbing his friend and shoving him at Lee, and now they had a moment to talk.

Facing Gaara, Lee’s heart raced, as he thought about what he wanted to say.

“Did you need me for something?” Gaara asked, voice as calm and neutral as ever.

Lee wanted to reply similarly, telling him something about how much he valued Gaara’s input on things or how much he appreciated the respect Gaara gave him, but none of the words would come to him.

Instead, what he said was, “I want to date you. Please.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WINKS


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plot! Do you even remember what the plot was? Probably not, because the author takes 18 years to update!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (peeks out from behind a blanket) h...hewwo?
> 
> seriously tho this took 9 years iM SORRY  
> i got a new job and it has Murdered Me
> 
> enjoy kiddos
> 
> (also, those of you who expected gaalee here...you guys didn't think i'd be THAT nice, did you?)

For a second, Gaara stopped breathing.

He’d never been... _ great,  _ with socialization of any kind, and even worse with personal relationships. His siblings and Naruto were the only significant relationships he’d reliably maintained. If Lee wanted to be his friend, he’d try, but he had no promises.

This, though. This was something else entirely. 

“You...are fifteen,” Gaara said, quietly.

Lee’s eyebrows scrunched together, confusion practically radiating off him. “Ah...yes? I am a year older than you. Does that bother you?”   
Gaara was going to  _ cry. _

He’d never really thought much about how his age would affect him. Sometimes one of their friends would do something childish, and he’d remember that he was farther ahead in development than them, at least mentally. For the most part, though, shinobi grew up fast.

He’d never sat down and really considered that his age would ever matter, and he regretted that now. He had no way of explaining to Lee the truth - that he was twice as old as he looked and couldn’t in good conscience entertain the idea of  _ romance  _ with someone who was, despite it all, still a  _ child _ .

He scrambled for justification, for some excuse, but words failed him. 

A little light dimmed out of Lee’s eyes, and Gaara knew he’d stayed quiet too long. 

“Ah,” Lee murmured. “I see. It is alright, Gaara-san. You are not interested. I am disappointed, but I can accept this. I would still be your friend, if you would allow it.”

Gaara managed a small, stunned nod, and then let Lee walk away.

On shaky legs, he turned, and retreated into the back yard. The door closed behind him, and the soft  _ click  _ of it catching was like the cue for his composure to break. 

He hit his knees, eyes  _ burning  _ with the need to cry and scream and get the frustration  _ out.  _

Naruto had, at some point, become  _ everything  _ to Gaara, and it blinded him to the point where he lost the ability to see how alone he really was. His siblings had no idea what his past was, only what they’d seen. Their ‘friends’ - Naruto’s friends, really, no one cared much for Gaara personally - didn’t know the first thing about him.

And here he was, thinking he could try again in life, and use his foreknowledge to cheat his way into new friends and a found family, and he had to go and fuck it up. 

_ You’re a grown man, playing at a child,  _ he told himself, disgusted with the thought.  _ You should have cut ties as soon as possible and went after the Akatsuki, but you didn’t. You played around instead, because you were too weak to let go. _

No more, then. Gaara wouldn’t keep wasting time and energy trying to have the childhood he’d once missed. The time for that was gone: he came back with Naruto on a mission, and that mission was more important than his little fantasy of reclaimed youth. 

He’d pack a bag, as soon as he could. He’d grab what he needed, and he’d hit the road - even if Naruto didn’t agree to come with him. 

The sooner the Akatsuki was dealt with, the sooner he would be free of the life he had before. The sooner he could start over, making something  _ new  _ of himself, instead of simply recycling the years he’d blown the first time. 

Gaara was over twenty-five years old, in total. It was time for him to _ grow up. _

  
  
  


Naruto frowned as he caught sight of Lee, crossing the room looking dejected, and immediately turned to look for Gaara. 

There was a chance that Lee’d made a move, and Gaara had probably turned him down because of their waiting deal. He’d probably be upset, then, so maybe he should…

...Where  _ was  _ Gaara?

_ Kurama?  _

_ Shukaku’s freaking out in the backyard,  _ the Kyuubi informed him.

Naruto only refrained from running because he knew someone would follow if he did. 

Gaara was on the ground when Naruto reached him, hunched over and clutching at his own hair as he shook with sobs.

“Oh, shit,” Naruto swore, rushing to his friend’s side. “What happened? Gaara?”

“We have to leave,” Gaara told him, voice sharp. “We’ve been here too long. We have to act.”

It wasn’t as though Naruto disagreed, but he also didn’t like the desperation in Gaara’s tone. “Why? They haven’t made a move either, Gaara.”

“So we don’t give them time to.”

Naruto pressed his lips together in a thin line, thinking. “They won’t just let us leave.”

“They can’t stop us, either.”

“We have no idea where they are!” 

“We know all the bases they had, and we can start with those.”

Naruto faltered, trying to find any more arguments to offer, but none came to him. As reluctant as he was to admit it, they  _ were  _ wasting time, stalling like this.

“Okay,” he softly agreed. “Okay. We’ll leave. We’ll look for them. The others will want to come with us.”

Gaara shook his head. “We need to go alone.”

“You’re usually the one saying we need support,” Naruto pointed out. 

“Not this time,” Gaara said. “This is our fight. We can’t- Naruto,  _ I  _ can’t lose anyone again. Only we know what we’re up against, and only we stand a chance.”

“Alright,” he said. “Okay. Give it...Give it a day, okay? Give me to tomorrow night.”

Gaara managed a small nod, and Naruto pulled him into a hug.

“We’ll be okay,” Naruto promised. “It’ll all be over soon.”

He just hoped that they were alive to see it. 

  
  
  
  


Naruto and Gaara calmed themselves and returned to the party, where they made it through the rest of the evening with fake smiles and sullen silence, respectively. 

When the guests had all left, and Kankuro and Temari had each turned in for bed, Gaara and Naruto retreated to the latter’s room with Fu in tow.

She knew their story, it was only right she know their plan. 

“You’re  _ leaving?”  _ she cried, when they told her. “But-...But what about…”

“We have to do this,” Naruto told her. “We’ll come back as soon as we can, we promise.”

“I’m going with you,” Fu insisted. “I’m not letting you do this without me. The others won’t, either - all the jinchuuriki are going to want to help.” 

“Let us plan, first,” Gaara told her. “If we need help-...”

“You will,” she cut him off. “And you won’t ask for it. That’s why I’m coming.”

Naruto and Gaara looked at each other, both weighing their options. 

“...A team would be safer,” Gaara said, quietly. “And if we’re all together, we’re less of a target then we are alone. We would know they were safe.”

“Alright, alright,” Naruto said. “You can come.”

“You should bring your sensei, too,” Fu said. “He knows about this, right? And that Uchiha guy.”

“Shisui’s taking care of Itachi,” Naruto said. “He can’t come. Kakashi-sensei probably could, though, if he’s willing to leave the village with us to do it.”

Fu went quiet for a moment, before announcing, “Done. Chomei’s getting a message to Isobu for Yagura, so that he can send a request for the four of us as a team for a mission. That way no one is a missing-nin, right?”   
Naruto was really going to have to start letting Fu plan more of their moves, because that was probably much more effective than just trying to break out in the middle of the night and hope no one got mad or followed them. 

“I’ll talk to Kakashi-sensei tomorrow,” Naruto said. “And we can go when Yagura’s message arrives.” 

“If we get permission to go on the mission,” Gaara said. “If not, we’ll leave tomorrow night, like we planned. Either way, we’re gone twenty-four hours from now.”

A plan in place, they all turned in, laying together in a pile for a night of restless sleep. 

  
  
  


Kakashi, interestingly enough, took exactly zero convincing. 

“If the hokage signs off on it, I’ll go,” he agreed. “Obito is my mess to clean up, and I’m more than ready to get to work on that.”

“We’re not going to kill him,” Naruto insisted.

“Not if we can help it,” Gaara corrected, quietly, ignoring Naruto’s slightly offended look in response. He did not have his friend’s blind optimism, and it was always possible that peaceful resolutions would not be an option. Obito had been a wildcard from the start, his mind a scattered mess, and there was no guarantee that Naruto would be able to get through the crazy enough to make an impression that would last.

Then again, considering his own journey at Naruto’s hands, he had little room for lacking faith.

Team settled, all there was left to do was see Sarutobi.

  
  


“You were requested specifically by the Mizukage,” Sarutobi said, later, when they were gathered in his office. “He claims he is gathering forces for an intel mission to collect all that can be found about the Akatsuki, and that you four specifically were best suited to his plans.” He handed over a scroll, which Kakashi unsealed to show them all the formal mission statement and details. “I’m sure I don’t need to impress upon you how important this is. Gather whatever you need to take with you and meet at the gate in an hour to get going. We’re counting on you.”

  
  
  


Sakura and Sasuke met them at the gate.

“Is it true?” Sakura demanded, when she saw them. “You’re leaving? You’re going after the Akatsuki? By  _ yourselves?”  _

“Yagura said he was gathering a bigger team,” Gaara said. “But we’re the only ones leaving Konoha, yes.”

“They could kill you,” Sasuke murmured to Naruto, and Gaara was familiar with the pain thinly veiled within the words. “What happens if they-...”

“They won’t,” Naruto interrupted, grinning, ever the optimist. “We know what we’re doing, guys. I think all the jinchuuriki are coming along, too, and the nine of us together are worth a couple armies. Have a little faith.”

“Just...come back,” Sakura said. “Promise me.”

“I promise,” Naruto told her, easily.

“And I’ll make sure he keeps it,” Gaara added, which was more honest than promising himself.

Naruto gave them a smaller, sadder smile. “Tell the others we said goodbye?”

“I will,” Sakura agreed.

“That makes it my turn, right?” Fu called, stepping forward to elbow her way between the boys. “Alright, Miss Chunin Exam Champion! I need to get these idiots across a lot of land if we’re gonna get them back as soon as possible. It’ll be a lot of work….Can I get a good luck kiss?”

Sakura chuckled in response, before leaning forward, catching Fu’s face and giving her a small kiss on the tip of her nose.

Fu flushed red as a cherry. “Oh,” she breathed. “I, uh.”

“You broke her,” Naruto chimed in. “I’m sure she was going to say a very heartfelt goodbye, though. And she’s right, we’ll be back as soon as we can, cross my heart.”

“You’d better,” Sakura said. “We’ll be waiting.”

Goodbyes said, with no time for regrets, the team started out the gate.

Things would be rough, but they’d been preparing for years for this: the fall of the Akatsuki.

The carnage of Kaguya’s devastation would never be known to the shinobi again. Naruto and Gaara would make damn certain of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fu: haha can i get a kiss? ;)  
> sakura: sure  
> fu: i. wh. huh. what. wait. what?

**Author's Note:**

> bug me on tumblr @spicyreyes


End file.
